BERKELEY 

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CALIFORNIA 


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PREFACE, 


The  boy's  liMiry  is  not  considered  complete  without  a 
Book  of  Sports.  The  little  fellows  like  to  have  a  printed 
authority  for  the  laws  of  the  game;  and  they  take  delight  in 
reading  descriptions  of  those  games  and  amusements  which 
afford  them  recreation  in  the  intervals  of  labour  and  study. 

Our  little  volume  describes  the  most  popular  amusements, 
and  will  undoubtedly  suggest  to  most  of  its  juvenile  readers 
some  sports  with  which  they  were  previously  unacquainted. 
We  have  confined  ourselves  to  those  sports  which  prevail  in 
our  own  country — those  which  all  may  participate  in,  with- 
out inconvenience ;  believing  it  to  be  quite  superfluous  to 
give  any  account  of  those  which  are  wholly  foreign  and  un- 
practised by  American  boys. 

And  if  our  eflforts  have  been  instrumental  in  instructing, 
improving,  or  amusing  any  of  our  youthful  readers,  we  need 
scarcely  affirm,  that  it  will  prove  a  source  of  real  and  un- 
mixed gratification  to  their  well-wisher  and  friend, 

UNCLE  JOHN. 
(3) 


/;  dutoJ(0^/\ 


GFI 


CONTENTS 


U5 


MINOR  SPORTS. 

?AO« 

PAOB 

Buff  with  the  Wand 

.      26 

Bonces 

.     9 

Jingling 

.  27 

Spanning 

9 

Hunt  the  Slipper 

.      27 

The  Regiment  of  Soldiers 

.  10 

Hunt  the  Whistle 

.  28 

Chip  Halfpenny 

10 

Puss  in  the  Corner    . 

.      29 

Hockey  or  Shinney 

.  10 

Thread  the  Needle 

.  29 

I  spy  I       . 

11 

The  Huntsman 

.      80 

Masters  and  Men 

.  11 

The  Game  of  the  Key 

.  31 

The  Graces 

12 

The  Two  Hats 

.      32 

The  Bandilor 

.  12 

Penances  for  Forfeits  . 

.  84 

Cup  and  Ball    . 

18 

Schimmel,  or  the  Bell 

and 

Nine  Holes   . 

.  13 

Hammer 

.      36 

Rackets    . 

13 

Dibs     . 

.  88 

Fives    .... 

.  16 

The  Game  of  Fingers 

•      39 

Foot-Ball 

16 

Dumb  Motions 

.  40 

Golf,  or  Cambuca 

.  17 

Snap-Apple 

.      41 

Hurling     . 

17 

Snap-Dragon 

.  41 

Stool  Ball     . 

.  18 

Drawing  the  Oven     . 

.      41 

Trap,  Bat,  and  Ball  . 

19 

Hopping  Bases     . 

.  42 

Rounders 

.  20 

Whoop       . 

.      42 

Pall  Mall 

.      21 

French  and  English 

.  43 

Quoits 

.  21 

Tag  or  Touch   . 

.      43 

Bowls 

22 

Cross-Touch 

.  43 

Hop  Scotch 

.  23 

Hunt  the  Hare 

.      44 

Blindman's  Buff 

25 

Baste  the  Bear 

.  44 

Aadow  Buff 

.  26 

Hide  and  Seek 

44 

804 


W 


Tl                                             CONTENTS. 

PAO« 

TX9» 

Duck  Stone  . 

.  46 

The  High  Leap          .        ,      66 

Saddle  my  Nag 

47 

The  Long  Leap     .                 .66 

Buck    .... 

.  48 

The  High  Leap  with  the  Pole  68 

Prisoner's  Base 

49 

The  Long  Leap  with  the  Pole  66 

Rushing  Bases 

.  51 

The  Deep  Leap  with  the  Pole  67 

Stag  Out  . 

51 

Lifting  at  Arm's  length     .       67 

Warning 

.  52 

The  Rope     .        .        .        .67 

See-Saw    . 

53 

The  Jayelin       ...      67 

Leap-Frog     . 

.  53 

The  Long  Chalk    .        .        .68 

Fly  the  Garter 

64 

The  Hand  Spring      .        .      68 

Duck  and  Drake  . 

.  55 

Spring  from  the  Thumb        .  68 

King  of  the  Castle     . 

56 

The  Stooping  Reach  .        .      69 

Dropping  the  Handkerchief     56 

The  Triumph        .        .        .69 

Hop,  Step,  and  Jump   . 

.  57 

The  Feat  with  the  Finger    .   70 

Casting  the  Ball 

57 

The  Feat  with  the  Poker        70 

Two  to  One 

.  57 

Kneeling  Down          .        .      70 

Long  Rope 

58 

To  remove  a   Chair    from 

The  Snow  Statue 

.  58 

under  you  without  falling     71 

Snow  and  Ice  Houses 

.      60 

Breast  to  Mouth   .        .        .71 

Follow  my  Leader 

.  61 

Walking  on  Stilts      .        .      71 

Hippas 

.      61 

Walk!  my  Lady,  Walk! 

.  62 

CRICKET.              73 

The  Swing 

.      62 

ARCHERY. 

The  Pulley     .      . 

.  63 

Sliding      . 

.      63 

The  Bow       .        .        .        .74 

"Jack!  Jack!  show  a  Light"    64 

Arrows      ....      76 

The  String    .        .        .        .76 

GYMNASTIC  EXERCISES. 

The  Quiver         ...      76 

Training   . 
Running 

.       65 
.  65 

The  Tassel  .  .  •  .76 
The  Glove          ...      76 

Walking    . 
Jumping 

.      65 
.  Go 

The  Brace  .  .  .  .77 
The  Belt,  Pouch,  &c.        .      77 

CONTENTS. 


The  Ascham 

77 

To  turn  one's  self  lying  along 

92 

Butts         .... 

77 

To  make  a  Circle 

93 

Targets         .        .        .        . 

78 

To  turn,  being  in  an  upright 

Position     .... 

79 

position 

98 

Roving           .         .         .         . 

79 

To  advance  Swimming  with 

Distance  or  High  Shooting 

80 

the  hands  joined  together 

94 

Clout  Shooting 

80 

To  swim  on  your  Side 

94 

Stringing  the  Bow 

81 

To  svrim  on  the  Face  holding 

ANGLING. 

both  hands  still 

95 

Rods         .... 

Lines 

Hooks       .... 

Floats  

Baits         .... 
Articles  requisite  for  An- 
glers        .        .        .        . 
Salt  Water  Angling 

84 
85 
85 
85 
85 

To  carry  the  left  Leg  in  the 

right  Hand    . 
To  swim  like  a  Dog      . 

96 
95 

To  Beat  the  Water 

96 

To  keep  one  Foot  at  liberty 

97 

86 

To  show  both  Feet  out  of 
the  Water 

97 

86 

Suspension  by  the  Chin    . 

98 

Obseryations 

87 

To  tread  Water    . 

98 

Changing  Hand  and  Foot 

99 

SWIMMING. 

To  creep   .... 

99 

To  begin  to  learn  to  Swim 

88 

To  sit  in  the  Water 

100 

To  return  back  again  in 

To  swim  holding  np  your 

Swimming 

89 

Hands    .... 

100 

To  float  or  swim  with  the 

The  Leap  of  the  Goat    . 

100 

face  toward  the  sky 

90 

To  Dive     .... 

101 

How  to  turn  in  the  Water 

.   90 

The  Perpendicular  Descent 

101 

The  Turn  called  Ringing  the 

To  swim  under  Water  . 

102 

Bells          .        . 

.   91 

To  come  to  the  top  of  the 

Another  way  of  Turning 

91 

Water  after  Diving 

108 

To  iwim  backwardt 

92 

To  make  a  Circle 

108 

TiH 

CONTENTS. 

SKATING. 

PAOS 

PAOX 

The  Bridle    .        .        . 

137 

Construction  of  the  Skate 

105 

To  Mount 

139 

Dress  of  the  Skater  '    . 

107 

Walking 

141 

Preliminary  and  General 

Trotting  .^     . 

142 

Directions     . 

108 

Cantering    .        . 

143 

The  ordinary  Run 

110 

Galloping 

143 

The  Forward  Roll     . 

111 

Leaping 

144 

Figure  of  Three    . 

113 

What  to  Remember 

145 

Inside  Edge  backwards 

114 

Conclusion    . 

161 

ROWING. 

SLEIGHT  OF  HAND,  MAGIC, 

The  Boat 

120 

&c. 

153 

Starting    . 

121 

ENIGMAS,  RIDDLES,  i 

&c. 

Sculling 

122 

Enigmas 

167 

Pulling  with  the  Oar 

123 

Charades 

170 

Feathering    . 

124 

Conundrums     . 

172 

To  back  Water 

124 

Key       ...        . 

177 

Crossing 

125 

Geographical  Play    . 

180 

Passing     . 

.     125 

Story-Play    . 

181 

Meeting 

125 

Capping  Verses 

182 

Tides        .... 

126 

Landing 

126 

MISCELLANIES. 

What  to  Remember  . 

127 

To  Polish  Shells    . 

185 

What  to  Avoid      . 

127 

Noise  in  Shells 

187 

Sea  Rowing 

130 

How  to  grow  an  Oak  in  j 

1, 

Terms  used  in  Boating 

132 

Hyacinth  Glass 

187 

A  Few  Final  Remarks     . 

133 

Glass  from  Straw 

188 

To  extract  the  Perfume  of 

RIDING. 

Flowers 

189 

The  Horse 

135 

Vegetable  Skeletons 

189 

The  Saddle  . 

136 

Rosin  Gas      . 

190 

The  Stirrups    . 

137 

To  write  Black  with  Water 

192 

THE   BOrS 

BOOK  OF  SPORTS  AND  GAMES. 


MINOK  SPORTS. 


BONCES. 

Having  provided  yourselves  with  marbles,  called  bonces, 
let  the  one  agreeing  to  commence  the  game,  roll  his  marble 
a  short  distance.  His  adversary  then  shoots  at  it,  and  so 
on  in  rotation  until  one  or  other  wins  it,  by  striking  the 
marble  the  number  of  times  agreed  upon. 

SPANNING. 

This  is  played  with  any  kind  of  marble.  The  one 
agreeing  to  commence,  shoots  bis  marble  as  far  as  he  likes. 
His  opponent  then  shoots  in  his  turn,  endeavouring  to  strike 
the  one  first  shot,  or  shoot  it  so  close  that  he  can  touch 
both  at  a  span ;  if  he  can,  he  wins ;  and  so  on  in  succession, 
an  til  one  or  other  wins. 

(9) 


10  MINOR     SPORTS. 

THE  REGIMENT  OF  SOLDIERS. 

According  to  the  number  of  players,  let  each  put  down 
two  or  three  marbles,  and  having  placed  them  in  a  straight 
line,  draw  another  line  about  two  yards  from  where  the 
marbles  are,  to  play  from,  which  is  done  by  shooting  at  them 
in  rotation;  and  all  the  marbles  knocked  oflf  the  line  become 
the  property  of  the  pUycr. 

CHIP  HALFPENNY. 

To  play  at  this,  you  must  provide  yourself  with  a  small 
wooden  spoon,  as  well  as  your  top.  Draw  a  line,  on  which 
place  the  two  halfpence.  The  first  player  then  spins  his 
top,  and  taking  it  up  in  his  spoon,  tries  to  chip  his  half- 
penny towards  the  goal  or  winning  place;  his  opponent 
then  does  the  same,  and  so  on  till  one  or  other  wins. 

hoce:ey,  or  shinney. 

It  will  be  necessary  in  this  game,  to  provide  yourselves 
with  a  vine  stick  having  a  hook  at  one  end,  and  also  a  ball ; 
or  a  good  sized  bung,  is  the  best  to  play  with.  The  players 
must  be  equal  in  point  of  numbers,  on  each  side.  The  bung 
is  then  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  playground,  and  the 
party  winning  the  right  of  striking  first,  attempts  to  strike 
it  to  touch  his  opponent's  goal,  and  he  must  be  well  backed 
'  by  his  party  to  enable  him,  if  possible,  to  succeed.  This 
game  affords  excellent  amusement  and  sport  when  the  game 


MASTERS    AND     MEN.  .  11 

IS  played  by  skaters,  but  they  must  be  good  ones,  or  it  is 
dangerous.  This  is  called  in  Scotland,  &c.,  shinney,  from 
the  players  striking  each  others'  shins,  in  trying  to  knock 
the  bung  from  between  their  legs;  but  this  I  trust  my 
young  readers  will  not  attempt,  as  it  invariably  produces 
much  ill  feeling,  which  should  not  exist  between  little  boys. 

I  SPY  I. 

This  game  is  best  played  where  there  are  a  number  of 
convenient  places  to  hide.  Sides  are  chosen,  and  one  party 
goes  out  to  hide  while  the  other  remains  at  "  home."  One 
of  the  players  who  are  out  hiding,  calls  "  warning j'  and 
then  quickly  hides  himself.  The  other  party  at  home,  then 
sallies  out  to  find  them,  but  if  two  of  the  hiding  party  can 
reach  home  before  one  has  been  discovered,  they  cry  out 
"  all  home,''  and  then  go  and  hide  again.  The  seekers 
must  find  two  of  the  opposition  before  they  are  entitled  to 
go  out  and  hide. 

MASTERS  AND  MEN. 
This  is  a  game  that  admits  of  great  variety,  and  will 
afford  as  much  amusement  to  the  spectators  as  to  the  players. 
In  fact,  if  properly  played,  they  may  well  be  called  juvenile 
charades.  The  party  is  divided  into  two ;  one  to  be  called 
the  masters,  and  the  other  the  men.  The  latter,  who  com- 
mence the  game  by  agreement,  must  try  and  keep  the  ma^ 


A 


lit  MINOR      SPORTS. 

ters  out  of  work  as  long  as  they  can.  The  men  must  make 
a  choice  of  some  trade  they  can  .easily  imitate,  such  as  a 
carpenter,  mason,  doctor,  &c.,  and  one  of  them  must  tell 
the  masters  the  first  and  last  letters  of  the  trade;  and 
endeavour  to  depict  the  actions  of  men  employed  in  the 
trade  chosen.  If  the  masters  guess  the  proper  answer,  they 
take  the  place  of  the  men.  If  after  some  time  they  do  not, 
thoy  begin  a  new  trade. 

THE  GRACES. 

This  game  is  played  by  any  number  of  persons  standing 
apart  from  each  other,  and  requires  two  wands,  and  a  hoop 
covered  with  leather,  which  may  be  procured  at  any  toy 
shop.  The  wands  are  held  firmly  in  each  hand,  and  the 
hoop  is  placed  on  them.  The  wands  must  then  be  crossed, 
and  sharply  drawn  asunder,  trying  to  drive  the  hoop,  so  that 
another  with  whom  you  are  playing  may  catch  it. 

THE  BANDILOR. 

This  toy  is  made  of  wood,  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a 
ship's  pulley,' with  a  string  wound  round  the  centre.  To 
bring  this  into  action,  the  end  of  the  string  must  be  held 
between  the  finger  and  thumb,  allowing  the  bandilor  to  fall ; 
the  string  will  then  unwind  itself,  and  on  checking  its  fall, 
will  instantly  rewind  itself.  This  is  a  nice  plaything,  and 
may  be  easily  procured. 


RACKETS.  13 

CUP  AND  BALL. 

This  toy  must  be  procured  at  some  toy  shop.  They  are 
made  of  wood  and  ivory ;  the  latter  is  the  best,  as  it  is  not 
80  liable  to  chip  or  splinter.  You  must  hold  the  stem  of  it 
between  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right  hand,  and  jerk 
the  ball  upwards  to  enable  you  to  catch  it  in  the  cup,  turijing 
the  ball  round  in  the  jerk.  When  you  have  attained  £ome 
proficiency  in  catching  it  in  the  cup,  you  can  then  endeavour 
to  catch  it  on  the  pointed  end,  or  stem,  though  it  will  require 
some  practice  to  accomplish  this. 

NINE  HOLES. 

This  game  is  played  as  well  with  leaden  bullets  as  with 
marbles.  They  are  to  be  bowled  along  a  level  course,  at  a 
board  having  arches  cut  in  it,  with  numbers  marked  over 
each  arch ;  viz.,  supposing  there  are  eight  arches,  they  may 
be  numbered  thus,  2  0  5  10  4  3  0.  If  the  bowler  strikes 
the  side  of  the  arch,  he  loses  his  marble,  but  receives  as 
many  from  the  owner  of  the  board  as  the  number  over  the 
arch  through  which  his  marble  passes. 

RACKETS. 

This  game  is  played  in  a  clear  space  of  ground,  having  a 

high  wall  painted  black,  and  the  ground  divided  into  four 

equal  parts  with  chalk,  two  divisions  near  the  wall,  and  two 

behind  them.     The  latter  are  occupied  by  the  out  players 


14  MINOR     SPORTS. 

At  the  height  of  forty  inches  from  the  ground,  a  broad  lin« 
is  drawn  with  chalk  on  the  wall,  and  the  ball  must  strike  the 
wall  above  this  line.  It  can  be  played  by  either  two  or 
four  players.  When  two  play,  each  must  cover  two  com- 
partments ;  but  when  four  are  playing,  each  player  takes 
one  of  the  divisions.  Those  occupying  the  divisions  nearest 
the  wall,  are  called  "  in  hand"  players ;  those  in  the  others, 
"  out  hand''  players.  The  ball  must  not  weigh  more  than 
one  ounce,  and  as  the  eye  cannot  well  follow  it  in  the  game 
unless  it  is  rendered  discernible  by  being  frequently  rolled 
in  white  chalk,  it  should  be  changed  often  for  that  purpose, 
as  it  then  forms  a  strong  contrast  to  the  black  wall  played 
against.  The  ball  is  driven  forward  against  the  wall,  with 
a  rackety  formed  of  a  strong  catgut  net  work.  The  rules 
are  as  follow : — After  deciding  who  begins  the  game,  it  is 
commenced  by  the  "  in  hand"  party  striking  the  ball 
against  the  wall ;  if  it  strikes  under  the  line,  or  goes  over 
the  wall,  or  does  not  rebound  into  the  "  out  hands"  spaces, 
or  goes  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  racket  ground,  the  striker 
is  "out,"  and  the  "out  hand"  takes  his  place.  Should 
none  of  these  occur,  when  the  ball  has  rebounded  into  the 
out-spaces,  and  risen  from  the  ground,  it  is  driven  back  to 
the  wall  again,  to  rebound  into  one  of  the  in-spaces,  and 
so  on  alternAtely.  The  art  consists  in  driving  the  ball  in 
such  a  manner  against  the  wall,  that  in  its  rebound,  your 
'opponents  shall  be  unable  to  pick  it  up  or  hit  it ;  when  this 


FIVES.  15 

oecurs,  the  one  who  strack  the  ball  counts  one  point,  and 
the  game  is  so  continned,  until  one  side  scores  eleven  or 
fifteen  as  agreed  upon. 

FIVES. 

Sometimes  called  hand  tennis,  or  palm  play,  from  being 
once  played  with  the  naked  hand,  afterwards  with  a  lined 
glove,  or  cords  bound  round  the  hand.  Fives  can  be  played 
singly  or  with  partners.  A  wall  should  be  selected  with  a 
good  level  hard  piece  of  ground  before  it.  A  line  is  then 
drawn  on  the  wall  three  feet  from  the  ground ;  another  on 
the  ground  two  yards  from  the  wall ;  and  another  describ- 
ing three  sides  of  a  square,  of  which  the  wall  makes  the 
fourth,  to  mark  the  bounds.  The  winner  of  the  choice  of 
commencing,  begins  by  dapping  his  ball  on  the  ground, 
striking  it  against  the  wall  above  the  line  drawn,  so  that  it 
may  rebound  far  enough  to  fall  outside  the  line  on  the 
ground.  ^  The  other  player  then  strikes  it  in  the  same  man- 
ner before  it  has  touched  the  ground  more  than  once.  The 
first  player  then  prepares  to  strike  it  as  it  rebounds,  and 
the  game  is  thus  continued  until  one  of  the  players  fails  to 
lift  the  ball  before  it  has  rebounded  from  the  ground  more 
than  once,  strikes  it  below  the  mark,  or  drives  it  out  of 
bounds.  If  the  player  does  either  of  thes%  he  loses  his 
innings ;  if  the  other,  then  the  in-player  scores  one  on  each 
occasion  towards  the  game,  which  is  fifteen.     The  rules  are 


16  MINOR   SPORTS. 

the  same  when  partners  are  playing,  each  side  keeping  up 
the  ball  alternately,  and  the  partners  taking  it  in  turns  for 
innings  as  the  other  side  goes  out.  After  the  ball  is  first 
played  out  at  the  commencement,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make 
the  ball  rebound  beyond  the  ground  line,  which  is  used  only 
to  make  the  player  who  is  in  give  out  the  ball  fairly,  when 
he  first  takes  the  innings,  or  plays  out  the  ball  after  he  has 
won  a  point. 

FOOT  BALL. 

This  game  was  formerly  much  in  repute  in  England, 
until  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third,  when  it  was  succeeded 
by  the  more  delightful  amusement  of  archery,  the  practice 
of  which  was  enforced  by  a  public  edict,  as  foot-ball  was 
found  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  latter  accomplishment, 
and  its  being  properly  learned.  The  game  should  be  played 
in  a  large  field,  having  at  each  end  a  boundary  mark  or 
home  for  the  contending  armies,  which  may  consist  of  any 
number  equally  divided )  and  is  played  with  a  bladder  filled 
with  wind,  or  an  India  rubber  ball  covered  with  seal  skin. 
The  ball  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  field,  and  the  con- 
tending parties  endeavour  to  kick  it  into  their  opponent's 
boundary.  The  party  which  first  succeeds  in  doing  this, 
wins  the  game.  This  is  a  game  that  will  afi'ord  excellent 
amusment,  and  is  highly  conducive  to  health. 


OOLF,    OR     CAMBUCA.  17 

GOLF,  OR  CAMBUCA, 

So  called  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third,  from  a  crooked 
club  or  bandy-bat  used  in  playing.  In  Scotland  it  is  much 
practised,  and  is  sometimes  called  bandy-ball. 

Thb  game  may  be  played  by  any  number,  each  player 
being  provided  with  a  bandy  made  of  ash,  four  feet  and  a 
half  long,  with  a  curve  or  hook  affixed  to  the  bottom,  made 
of  horn,  and  backed  with  lead.  The  ball  should  be  small, 
made  of  feathers  covered  with  leather,  and  very  hard.  The 
game  consists  in  driving  the  ball  into  holes  made  in  the 
ground  at  certain  distances  one  from  the  other,  and  he  who 
succeeds  in  doing  so  in  the  fewest  number  of  strokes  wins 
the  game.  Between  the  first  and  last  holes  a  space  of  two 
miles  may  intervene ;  the  number  of  holes  between  which 
are  optional.  The  ball  must  be  driven  into  each  hole  and 
not  beyond  it.  There  is  a  golf  club  in  London  composed 
of  Scotchmen,  who  meet  once  a  year  to  play  a  grand  match. 
They  appear  in  Highland  costume,  which  forms  a  very 
picturesque  exhibition. 

HURLING. 

The  number  of  players  must  be  even,  and  divided  into 
pairs,  and  when  the  game  commences,  each  pair  become 
individual  opponents.  They  should  be  well  matched  as  to 
size  and  strength.  Two  poles  are  fixed  in  the  ground  ten 
feet  apart,  and  opposite  them  two  more  (the  same  distance 
2 


1^  *  MINOR     SPORTS. 

apart)  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  paces  off.  The  umpire, 
who  does  not  take  a  part  in  the  game,  then  throws  up  a 
ball,  and  whoever  can  catch  it,  and  csiry  it  through  his 
opponent's  goal,  wins  the  game.  Tho  point  of  the  game 
consists  in  the  holder  of  the  ball  retaitiiug  it  long  enough ; 
for  his  antagonist  endeavours  to  posseso  himself  of  the  ball, 
and  impede  the  holder's  progress-  Tho  law  of  the  game  is 
that  they  may  hurl  the  ball  from  cne  player  to  another,  but 
two  must  not  attack  one,  nor  can  the  holder  of  the  ball  hurl 
it  to  any  of  his  party  who  mf,y  be  nearer  his  opponent's 
goal  than  himself. 

STOOL  BALL 

Is  played  by  two  persons,  oae  taking  his  place  in  front  of 
%  stool  placed  upon  the  grouFid,  the  other  taking  his  place 
at  a  distance.  The  latter  tosses  the  ball,  endeavouring  to 
strike  the  stool,  and  it  is  the  business  of  the  other  to  beat 
it  away  with  his  hand  to  prevent  this ;  and  he  reckons  one 
to  the  game  for  every  time  he  strikes  the  ball  away.  If  on 
the  other  hand,  the  stool  should  be  struck,  the  players 
change  places-;  the  one  winning  the  game  who  drives  thn 
ball  away  from  the  stool  the  greatest  number  of  times. 
This  game  may  be  played  by  several  persons  placing  stools 
in  the  form  of  a  circle,  a  single  player  to  each  stool ;  when 
the  ball  has  been  struck,  each  one  changes  his  place,  runnio;/ 
from  stool  to  stool,  and  'f  the  feeder  recovers  the  bal)  i*i 


TRAP,    BAT,    AND     BALL.  1^ 

time  to  strike  any  of  the  players  before  he  amves  at  the 
stool  to  which  he  is  running,  they  change  places,  and  the 
one  touched  becomes  feeder  until  he  succeeds  in  striking 
another. 

TRAP,  BAT,  AND  BALL. 

A  boundary  is  placed  at  given  distances  on  each  side  of 
the  trap,  through  which  the  ball  must  pass,  and  a  line  is 
fixed  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the  trap,  and  eight  or  ten 
feet  high,  over  which  the  striker  must  send  the  ball,  or  he 
is  out.  The  game  may  be  played  by  any  number.  The 
one  who  is  to  commence  places  his  ball  in  the  spoon  of  the 
trap;  he  then  touches  the  tongue,  and  as  the  ball  rises  he 
strikes  it.  The  other  players  endeavour  to  catch  it,  and 
.he  one  who  succeeds  before  the  ball  has  struck  the  ground 
becomes  the  batman.  If  the  ball  is  not  caught,  the  player 
into  whose  hands  it  comes,  bowls  it  at  the  trap  from  the 
place  where  he  picked  it  up.  If  he  hits  the  trap,  the  striker 
is  out,  and  he  takes  his  place..  If  he  misses  it  the  batsman 
scores  one  towards  the  game.  The  tongue  of  the  trap 
should  not  be  struck  too  violently ;  and  it  is  well  to  catch 
the  ball  with  your  left  hand  once  or  twice  before  calling 
"•play,"  and  striking  it.  This  will  enable  you  to  judge 
what  is  the  best  position  to  stand  in,  so  as  to  strike  the  ball 
in  a  direction  where  there  is  the  least  chance  of  its  being 
caught.  By  allowing  the  ball  to  rise  to  its  greatest  height 
it  will  enable  you  to  take  a  good  aim  at  it  as  it  is  falling. 


20  MINOR  SPORTS. 

ROUNDERS. 

This  and  the  above  game  rank  next  to  cricket  for  amuse- 
ment, and  being  healthy  and  invigorating  exercises.  It  is 
played  with  a  round  stick  two  feet  in  length,  and  a  hard 
bench  ball.  Four  or  five  stones  or  posts  are  placed  in  the 
form  of  a  circle,  one  of  which  is  called  the  "  home"  and  the 
others  ^*  bases."  After  partners  on  each  side  have  been 
chosen  and  the  innings  determined,  the  out  players  are 
scattered  over  the  field,  one  taking  his  place  as  "  feeder"  in 
front  of  home,  and  one  behind  to  return  the  ball  to  the 
feeder.  The  in  player  who  commences  then  strikes  at  the 
call.  If  he  succeeds  he  runs  from  base  to  base,  and  another 
takes  up  the  bat.  If  any  strike  at  a  ball  and  miss  it,  they 
are  out ;  or  if  any  are  struck  with  the  ball  while  running 
from  base  to  base,  they  are  out ;  and  the  feeder  may  pre- 
tend to  toss  the  ball,  to  induce  a  player  to  leave  a  base  he 
is  standing  at,  to  obtain  a  chance  of  striking  him  and  put- 
ting him  out.  Each  in  player  takes  the  bat  in  rotation  as 
he  arrives  at  home.  If  all  are  out  but  two  or  three,  and 
those  are  at  the  bases,  and  one  be  not  able  to  reach  home 
before  the  home  is  crowned  by  the  ball,  all  are  out,  or  if  one 
of  the  strikers  sends  his  ball  so  that  it  is  caught,  all  hi? 
party  are  out.  If  all  are  out  but  two,  the  best  player  is 
allowed,  with  the  consent  of  the  others,  to  have  two  feeds 
or  hits  for  the  rounder,  and  if  he  gets  home  without  being 
Uruck,  or  the  home  being  crowned,  all  his  party  axe  in 


QUOITS.  21 

again,  and  continue  as  before ;  if  not,  the  opposite  party 
goes  in. 

PALL  MALL. 

The  Mall  in  St.  James's  Park  derived  its  name  from  this 
game  being  constantly  practised  there  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  the  Second,  by  Charles  himself,  and  his  courtiers, 
but  of  late  years  it  is  scarcely  heard  of.  The  game  is 
played  with  a  piece  of  box  and  a  mallet  in  an  alley  having 
an  iron  arch  at  each  end,  and  he  who  drives  the  ball  through 
the  arch  in  the  fewest  number  of  strokes  wins  the  game. 

QUOITS. 
An  iron  hob  or  pin  is  driven  into  the  ground,  to  within 
four  or  five  inches  of  the  head ;  and  at  a  distance  of  14, 
16,  20,  or  more  yards,  according  to  the  age  and  strength 
of  the  players,  a  second  pin  is  driven  in,  in  a  similar  man- 
ner, and  those  who  are  contending  in  the  game  stand  at 
one  of  the  pins,  and  each  throws  an  equal  number  of  quoits 
to  the  other  pin.  The  player  who  rings  his  quoit,  or  puts 
it  nearest  to  the  pin,  scores  one  point  to  the  game ;  but  if 
A.  puts  a  quoit  nearest  the  pin,  and  B.  places  one  second, 
and  A.  then  places  the  remainder  of  his  quoits  nearest  tha 
pin  after  B.,  he  still  scores  only  one,  as  by  B.  putting  his 
one  quoit  second,  it  prevents  the  other  quoits  being  reck- 
oned; but  if  B.  does  not  succeed  in  placing  a  quoit  to  out 


22  MINOR      SPORTS. 

out  those  of  A.,  each  of  A/s  quoits  counts  as  one.  By 
having  two  pins  the  players  can  proceed  from  one  to  the 
other  to  determine  the  state  of  the  game,  and  play  on  to 
each  pin.  This  game  is  much  practised  in  England,  seve- 
ral grand  quoit  matches  coming  ofiF  annually.  As  an  exer- 
cise, it  is  highly  conducive  to  health.  Strutt,  in  his  Sports 
and  Pastimes,  says,  that  "the  quoit  seems  evidently  to 
have  derived  its  origin  from  the  ancient  Discus." 

BOWLS 
May  be  played  by  sides  of  two  or  three  each,  or  single 
players.  Two  balls  are  taken  by  each  player,  and  the  one 
who  commences  casts  a  smaller  ball,  frequently  painted 
white,  and  called  a  jack,  to  any  distance  that  suits  him. 
He  then  delivers  a  ball  towards  the  jack,  each  player  follow- 
ing his  example  until  all  the  balls  are  used ;  one  of  each 
side  delivering  a  ball  alternately.  The  position  of  the  balls 
is  then  examined,  and  the  one  lying  nearest  to  the  jack 
scores  one  to  the  player,  and  if  his  other  ball  (or  presuming 
the  game  is  played  with  partners,  either  of  their  balls), 
should  be  nearer  the  jack  than  any  ball  delivered  by  his  or 
their  opponents,  then  they  can  score  as  many  more  towards 
the  game  as  they  have  balls  thus  placed.  The  game  should 
be  played  upon  a  closely  shorn  grass  lawn,  perfectly  smooth 
End  level.  The  balls  played  with  are  not  perfectly  round, 
Oeing  what  is  called  biassed,  having  some  mark  at  the  thick 


HOP    SCOTCH.  28 

end,  whicli  end  must  be  held  towards  the  bowler's  left 
hand.  The  aim  of  the  player  is  to  drive  his  opponent's 
ball  away  from  the  jack,  or  the  latter  away  from  the  former, 
and  at  the  same  time  place  his  ball  as  near  the  jack  as  he 
can. 

The  terms  used  in  the  game  are,  "  to  bowl  wide,'*  which 
is  when  the  bias  is  good,  or  is  not  strong  enough ;  "  narrow," 
when  it  is  too  strong;  "finely  bowled,"  when  the  ball 
passes  close  to  the  jack;  "yard  over,"  is  when  the  jack  is 
moved;  "over  bows,"  when  the  ball  passes  beyond  the 
jack.  A  ball  is  sometimes  placed  by  a  player  purposely 
within  his  reach  to  obstruct  the  one  who  follows  him,  and  is 
called  "  laid  at  hand ;"  placing  the  nearest  ball  to  the  jack, 
is  called  "bowl  best  at  jack;"  "drawing  a  cast,"  is  to  win 
by  bowling  nearest  the  jack,  without  touching  a  ball.  A 
ball  "  rubs"  when  retarded  in  its  motion  by  some  impedi- 
ment; and  is  "gone"  when  it  passes  far  beyond  the  jack; 
a  "  lurch"  is  when  one  side  scores  eleven  before  their  oppo- 
nents have  scored  five,  and  is  game. 

HOP  SCOTCH. 

Draw  on  the  ground  a  figure  resembling  a  window  arched 
at  the  top.  The  beds  are  formed  in  the  following  manner. 
At  the  end  farthest  from  the  arch  a  line  is  drawn  from  side 
to  side,  which  is  bed  1.  Another  like  it,  divided  in  the 
oentre,  forms  beds  2  and  3.     Bed  4  is  like  the  first.     The 


24  MINOR    SPORTS. 

next  bed  must  be  wider,  with  a  cross  drawn  diagonally  from 
comer  to  corner,  for  beds  5,  6,  7,  and  8.  Bed  9  is  like  the 
first,  and  10  and  11  are  like  2  and  3.  Bed  12,  at  the  arch, 
is  called  the  cat's  head.  The  one  who  commences  throws 
an  oyster  shell  into  No.  1,  he  then  hops  into  that  bed,  and 
with  the  foot  on  which  he  falls,  drives  it  out.  He  then 
throws  it  into  2,  steps  into  1,  hops  into  2,  drives  the  shell 
from  2  to  1,  and  then  from  1  out  of  the  figure.  The  shell 
is  now  thrown  into  3,  and  the  player  steps  into  1,  jumps 
astride  into  2  and  3,  one  foot  in  each  base,  springs  on  one 
foot  into  3,  drives  the  shell  into  2,  from  2  to  1,  and  out  as 
before.  He  now  throws  the  shell  into  4,  steps  into  1,  jumps 
astride  2  and  3,  and  alights  upon  one  foot  in  No.  4,  picks  up 
the  shell,  and  placing  it  on  the  front  of  his  foot  ofi"  the  ground, 
jerks  it  upwards  with  a  motion  of  the  leg,  and  catches  it  in 
his  hand.  He  then  jumps  back,  repeating  the  same  jumps 
as  when  he  advanced.  He  throws  the  shell  now  into  5, 
and  passing  through  the  beds  as  before,  alights  on  one  foot 
in  No.  5,  drives  the  shell  into  4,  catches  it,  and  returns  as 
before.  He  now  throws  the  shell  into  6,  drives  it  to  5,  and 
then  to  4,  catches  it  and  returns.  When  he  is  in  7,  after 
jumping  astride  6  and  7,  he  drives  the  shell  into  6,  6,  and 
4 ;  then  out  as  usual.  From  8  to  7,  6,  5,  and  4,  consecu- 
tively, returning  as  at  first.  In  9  he  catches  the  shell  from 
his  foot,  and  returns  as  from  4.  In  10  he  drives  it  to  9, 
In  11,  after  jumping   astride,  he  drives  it  into  10,  then 


blindman's   buff.  25 

into  9,  catching  it  and  returning  as  before.  He  now 
throws  the  shell  into  the  cat's  head,  on  arriving  at  which, 
he  catches  the  shell  three  times  from  his  foot,  and  then 
drives  it  with  the  foot  he  stands  on,  through  all  the  beds, 
returning  as  usual  out. 

BLINDMAN'S  BUFF 

Consists  in  one  person  having  a  handkerchief  bound  over 
his  eyes,  so  as  to  completely  blind  him ;  and  thus  blindfold, 
he  is  called  "  Buff,"  and  chases  the  other  players  either  by 
the  sound  of  their  footsteps,  or  their  subdued  merriment, 
as  they  scramble  away  in  all  directions,  endeavouring  to 
avoid  being  caught  by  him ;  when  he  succeeds  in  catching 
a  player,  and  guesses  his  name  rightly,  the  player  caught 
must  in  turnl^e  blindfold,  and  the  game  be  recommenced. 
In  some  places,  it  is  customary  for  one  of  the  players  to 
inquire  of  Buff  (before  the  game  begins)  "How  many 
horses  has  your  father  got  ?"  to  which  inquiry  Buff  responds 
*•  Three."  "  What  colours  are  they  ?"  "  Black,  white,  and 
gray."  The  questioner  then  desires  Buff  to  "turn  round 
three  times,  and  catch  whom  you  may,"  which  request  he 
complies  with,  by  trying  to  capture  one  of  the  playe;:s.  It 
is  often  played  by  merely  turming  the  blindfold  hero  round 
and  round,  without  questioning  him,  and  then  beginning. 
The  handkerchief  must  be  tied  on  fairly,  so  as  to  allow  no 
aeans  for  Buff  to  see ;  and  whenever  he  approaches  any 


26^  MINOR  SPORTS. 

thing  that  may  hurt  him,  he  should  be  warned,  as  by  the 
cry  of  "table/'  "chair/' &c. 

SHADOW  BUFF. 

Shadow  buff  differs  very  materially  from  blindman's 
buff,  but  it  is  equally  amusing.  A  sheet  or  table-cloth 
should  be  fastened  neatly  up  at  one  end  of  the  room,  so 
that  it  hang  free  from  wrinkles.  Buff  (not  blindfold)  seats 
himself  on  a  low  stool  with  his  face  to  the  sheet ;  a  table, 
on  which  is  a  lighted  candle,  should  be  placed  about  four 
or  five  feet  behind  him,  this  being  the  only  light  in  the 
room.  Buff's  play-fellows  next  pass  in  succession,  between 
the  candle  and  him,  distorting  their  features  in  as  grotesque 
a  manner  as  possible,  hopping,  limping,  dressing  themselves 
in  bonnets,  shawls,  cloaks,  or  other  disguises,*  and  perform- 
ing various  antics,  so  as  to  make  their  shadows  very  unlike 
thems'elves.  Buff  must  then  try  to  guess  to  whom  the 
shadows  belong;  and  if  he  guess  correctly,  the  player 
whose  shadow  he  recognises,  takes  his  place.  Buff  is  al- 
lowed only  one  guess  for  each  person,  and  must  not  turn 
bis  head  either  to  the  right  or  left,  to  see  who  passes. 

BUFF  WITH  THE  WAND. 

The  several  players  join  hands,  and  form  a  circle  around 
Buff,  who  stands  in  the  middle,  blindfold,  and  bearing  a 
long  wand  or  stick.     The  players  then  sing  some  chorus, 


JINOLINO.  27 

and  dance  once  round,  when  they  stop,  and  Buff  stretches 
forth  his  wand,  which  the  person  touched  must  take  by  the 
end.  Buff  then  cries  out  three  times,  and  the  player  caught 
answers  in  a  counterfeit  voice ;  but,  if  Buff  guess  his  name 
rightly,  they  change  places.  Should,  however,  Buff  guess 
wrong,  the  wand  is  released,  and  he  continues  to  guess 
until  he  names  some  one  correctly.  Sometimes  Buff  pays 
a  forfeit  on  each  failure,  as  does  each  player  on  being  caught 
and  named. 

JINGLING. 
This  is  a  west-country  sport,  and  may  be  played  in  a 
large  apartment,  or  out-of-doors;  if  the  latter,  within  a 
rope  ring.  A  player  has  a  bell  fastened  to  his  elbow,  or 
holds  one  in  his  hand,  which  he  keeps  jingling,  and  whence 
he  is  called  the  jingler  :  he  endeavours  to  avoid  the  several 
other  players,  who  are  blindfold,  and  who  strive  to  capture 
him  ;  the  jingler  may  jump  from  and  shun  the  others  as  he 
best  may;  whilst  they  follow  the  sound  of  the  bell,  and, 
not  being  able  to  see,  tumble  against,  and  oyer  each  other, 
thus  affording  great  amusement  to  the  spectators.  "Whoever 
catches  the  jingler  within  an  agreed  time,  generally  twenty 
minutes  or  half  an  hour,  wins  the  prize ;  but  if  after  this 
time  the  jingler  be  not  caught,  he  is  accounted  the  winner. 

HUNT  THE  SLIPPER. 
This  old-fashioned  pastime  need  scarcely  be  described 


28  MINOR    SPORTS. 

Several  boys  seat  themselves  in  a  circle  on  the  groLnd,  and 
another,  who  stands  within  the  ring,  gives  a  slipper  to  one 
of  the  players,  by  whom  it  is  secretly  handed  to  one  of  his 
neighbours ;  it  is  then  passed  round  from  one  sitter  to  an- 
other, so  as  to  completely  perplex  the  "  hunter,"  (or  player 
standing  in  the  middle),  in  his  endeavours  to  find  the  slipper, 
and  who  must  continue  his  search  until  successful ;  the 
player  in  whose  possession  it  is  found,  must  in  his  turn 
"  hunt  the  slipper,"  whilst  the  former  hunter  joins  the  sit- 
ters. Sometimes,  to  mislead  the  hunter,  a  player  raps  the 
slipper  on  the  ground,  and  instantly  passes  it  on. 

HUNT  THE  WHISTLE. 

To  a  whistle  should  be  attached  a  piece  of  string,  and  a 
bent  pin  for  a  hook.  The  players  seat  themselves  on  the 
floor  in  a  circle,  as  for  the  Slipper,  except  one  lad  who  has 
never  before  seen  the  game,  and  is  to  be  the  hunter.  He 
conceals  his  face  in  a  player's  lap,  whilst  another  hooks  the 
whistle  on  to  his  jacket,  then  blows  it,  and  dexterously  lets  it 
fall  so  that  another  player  may  as  quickly  pick  it  up,  and  blow 
it.  The  hunter  naturally  turns  towards  the  player  whence 
the  whistling  proceeds,  but  no  sooner  is  it  heard  in  one 
place  than  it  is  repeated  in  another;  and  thus  the  hunter 
is  perplexed  to  find  the  possessor  of  the  whistle,  although 
it  be  hanging  at  his  own  back. 


THREAD    THE    NEEDLE.  29 

PUSS  IN  THE  CORNER. 

Four  players  take  their  stations  in  the  four  corners  of  a 
room,  and  a  fifth  called  "  Puss"  places  himself  in  the  mid- 
dle of  it ;  the  players  in  the  corners  then  change  their  posi- 
tions in  a  regular  succession,  and  the  Puss  endeavours  to 
gain  one  of  the  vacant  corners  before  the  successor  can  reach 
it ;  if  he  can  do  so,  the  player  left  out  becomes  Puss. 

THREAD  THE  NEEDLE. 

A  number  of  boys  all  join  hands,  and  the  game  is  begun 
by  the  outside  players  at  each  end  of  the  line  holding  the 
following  dialogue :  '^  How  many  miles  to  Babylon  ?" 
"  Threescore  and  ten."  "  Can  I  get  there  by  candlelight  ?" 
"Yes,  and  back  again."  "Then  open  the  gates  without 
more  ado,  and  let  the  king  and  his  men  pass  through."  The 
player  and  the  one  next  to  him  at  tlie  end  of  the  line  oppo- 
site the  last  speaker  then  raise  tiioir  joined  hands  as  high 
.18  they  can,  to  afiow  the  speaker  to  run  under,  and  the 
whole  line  follow  him,  still  holding  hands.  This  should  be 
«lone,  if  possible,  without  breaking  the  line  by  letting  the 
hands  go,  and  is  styled  "threading  the  needle."  When 
all  the  boys  have  passed  through,  the  dialogue  is  repeated, 
except  that  the  player  who  before  replied,  now  asks  the 
question,  and  runs  between  the  opposite  players,  the  others 
following  as  before. 


80  MiNOft  sroitTj* 

THE  HUNTSMAN. 

This  game  is  one  of  the  liveliest  winter's  evening  pa*- 
times  that  can  be  imagined :  it  may  be  played  by  any  num- 
ber of  persons  above  four.  One  of  the  players  is  styled 
the  <^  huntsman,"  and  the  others  must  be  called  after  the 
different  parts  of  the  dress  or  accoutrements  of  a  sportsman  ; 
thus,  one  is  the  coat,  another  the  hat,  whilst  the  shot,  shot' 
belt,  powder,  powder-flask,  dog,  and  gun,  and  every  other 
appurtenance  belonging  to  a  huntsman,  has  its  representative. 
As  many  chairs  as  there  are  players,  excluding  the  "  hunts- 
man," should  next  be  ranged  in  two  rows,  back  to  back, 
and  all  the  players  must  then  seat  themselves ;  and,  being 
thus  prepared,  the  "huntsman"  walks  round  the  sitters, 
and  calls  out  the  assumed  name  of  one  of  them ;  for  instance, 
'^  Gun !"  when  that  player  immediately  gets  up,  and  takes 
hold  of  the  coat-skirts  of  the  "  huntsman,"  who  continues 
his  walk,  and  calls  out  all  the  others,  one  by  one ;  each 
must  take  hold  of  the  skirts  of  the  player  before  him,  and 
when  they  are  all  summoned,  tho  huntsman  sets  off  running 
round  the  chairs  as  fast  as  he  can,  the  other  players  holding 
on  and  running  after  him.  When  he  has  run  round  two 
or  three  times,  he  shouts  out  "  Bang !"  and  immediately 
sits  down  on  one  of  the  chairs,  leaving  his  followers  to 
scramble  to  the  other  seats  as  they  best  can.  Of  course, 
one  must  be  left  standing,  there  being  one  chair  less  tlian 
the  number  of  players,  and  the  player  so  left  must  pay  a 


THE    GAME    OP    THE    KEY.  31 

forfeit.  The  game  is  continued  until  all  have  paid  three 
forfeits,  when  they  are  cried,  and  the  punishments  or  pe- 
nances declared.  The  huntsman  is  not  changed  throughout 
the  game,  unless  he  gets  tired  of  his  post. 

THE  GAME  OF  THE  KEY. 
This  game  may  be  played  by  any  number  of  persons, 
who  should  all,  except  one,  seat  themselves  on  chairs 
placed  in  a  circle,  and  he  should  stand  in  the  centre  of  the 
ring.  Each  sitter  must  next  take  hold,  with  his  left  hand, 
of  the  right  wrist  of  the  person  sitting  on  his  left,  being 
careful  not  to  obstruct  the  grasp  by  holding  the  hands. 
When  all  have,  in  this  manner,  joined  hands,  they  should 
begin  moving  them  from  left  to  right,  making  a  circular 
motion,  and  touching  each  others'  hands,  as  if  for  the  pur- 
pose of  taking  something  from  them.  The  player  in  the 
centre  then  presents  a  hey  to  one  of  the  sitters,  and  turns 
his  back,  so  as  to  allow  it  to  be  privately  passed  to  another, 
who  hands  it  to  a  third ;  and  thus  the  key  is  quickly  handed 
round  the  ring  from  one  player  to  the  other;  which  !ask  is 
easily  accomplished,  on  account  of  the  continued  motion 
of  the  hands  of  all  the  players.  Meanwhile,  the  player  in 
the  centre,  after  the  key  has  reached  the  third  or  fourth 
player,  should  watch  its  progress  narrowly,  and  endeavour 
to  seize  it  in  its  passage.  If  he  succeed,  the  person  in 
whose  hand  it  is  found,  after  paying  a  forfeit,  must  take  his 


32  MINOR   SPORTS. 

place  in  the  centre,  and  give  and  hunt  the  key  in  his  tarn  j 
should  the  seeker  fail  in  discovering  the  key  in  his  first 
attempt,  he  must  continue  his  search  until  he  succeeds. 
When  a  player  has  paid  three  forfeits,  he  is  out. 

THE  TWO  HATS. 
This  is  a  Neapolitan  game,  and  from  the  contradictory 
nature  of  its  words  and  actions,  resembles  the  child's  pas- 
time of  "the  rule  of  contrary."  The  rules  are  that,  if 
three  mistakes  be  made  by  the  person  who  responds  to  the 
inquiries  of  the  player  bringing  the  hats  round,  and  whom, 
for  distinction's  sake,  we  will  call  the  Questioner, — he  must 
pay  three  forfeits,  and  be  out  of  the  game ;  when  the  ques- 
tioner desires  the  respondent  to  be  seated,  the  latter  must 
stand  up;  when  he  begs  him  to  put  his  hat  on,  he  must 
take  it  off;  when  he  requests  him  to  stand,  he  must  .sit ; 
and  in  every  point,  the  respondent  must  do  the  reverse  of 
what  the  questioner  tells  him.  The  questioner  may  sit  down, 
stand  ip,  put  his  hat  on,  or  take  it  off,  without  desiring  the 
respondent  to  do  so,  or  giving  him  the  least  intimation  of 
his  intention ;  the  latter  must,  therefore,  be  always  on  his 
guard,  so  as  to  act  instantly  to  the  contrary,  else  he  incurs 
a  forfeit.  These  rules  being  settled,  the  game  is  simply 
this  : — a"  player  places  a  hat  on  his  head,  takes  another  in 
his  hand,  and  gives  it  to  one  of  the  company;  he  then  be- 


THE    TWO    HATS.  83 

gins  conversing  with  him,  endeavouring  both  by  words  and 
actions  to  puzzle  him,  and  cause  him  to  forfeit.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  specimen  of  a  dialogue,  and  the  accompanying 
movements  of  the  hats,  in  which  A.  is  the  questioner,  B. 
the  respondent : — 

A.  (taking  his  hat  off.)     A  very  beautiful  evening,  sir. 

B.  (putting  his  hat  on.)    Yes,  indeed,  a  most  lovely  one. 

A.  (putting  his  hat  on  and  sitting  down,  B.  instantly 
taking  his  off  and  getting  vp.)  Pray  be  seated,  sir ;  I  really 
cannot  think  of  sitting  while  you  stand ;  (^gets  up^  and  B . 
sits  doum.)  Have  you  been  out  of  town  this  year  ?  (taJces 
off  his  hat.) 

B.  (putting  his  on.)  I  have  not  yet, but  I  think  I  shall 
before  (A.  sits  down  and  B.  gets  up)  the  beauty  of  the  sea- 
son has  entirely  passed  away,  venture  a  few  miles  out  of 
town. 

A.  (putting  his  hat  on.)  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons, 
you  are  standing  while  I  am  sitting  j  pardon  me,  yo^hat 
is  on,  you  must  pay  a  forfeit.  « 

It  generally  happens,  that  before  the  dialogue  has  been 
carried  thus  far,  the  respondent  has  incurred  three  forfeits, 
and  is,  of  course,  out ;  the  questioner  then  goes  in  succes- 
sion to  the  others,  and  the  same  scene  is  repeated  by  each ; 
the  conversation,  it  is  almost  needless  to  add,  should  be  va- 
ried as  much  as  possible,  and  the  more  absurd  the  better. 


34  MINOR    SPORTS. 

PENANCES  FOR  FORFEITS. 

As  the  three  foregoing  games  end  with  crying  the  forfeits 
incurred  in  them,  and  as  there  are  many  other  games  for 
long  winter  evenings,  which  our  limits  compel  us  to  omit, 
ending  in  the  same  manner,  we  subjoin  a  few  penances  (of 
Neapolitan  origin),  to  he  imposed  on  those  who  have  been 
unfortunate  enough  to  incur  them. 

1.  The  Knight  op  the  rueful  Countenance.  The 
player  whose  forfeit  is  cried,  is  called  the  "  Knight  of  the 
rueful  countenance  :"  he  must  take  a  lighted  candle  in  his 
hand,  and  select  some  other  play6r  to  be  his  squire  Sancho 
Panza,  who  takes  hold  of  his  arm,  ai^d  they  then  both  go 
round  to  all  the  ladies  in  the  company.  It  is  the  squire's 
office  to  kiss  the  hand  of  each  lady,  and  after  each  kiss  to 
wipe  the  knight's  mouth  with  a  handkerchief,  which  he  holds 
in  his  hand  for  the  purpose.  The  knight  must  carry  the 
candle  throughout  the  penance. 

2^The  country  Table.  In  this  penance  the  owner 
^of  1ft  forfeit  selects  some  one  to  be  secretary,  then  kneels 
down  upon '  his  hands  and  knees  on  the  floor,  to  represent 
the  table,  and  his  secretary  takes  his  stand  beside  him.  One 
of  the  company  next  dictates  to  the  secretary,  who  should 
move  his  hand  on  the  back  of  the  kneeling  player,  as  if  he 
were  writing  a  letter ;  the  dictator  must  call  out  "  comma  V 
when  he  wishes  that  stop  to  be  made,  which  the  secretary 
responds  to  by  making  a  motion  with  his  finger  op  the 


PENANCES    FOR    FORFEITS.  35 

"country  table,"  resembling  that  stop;  a  "semicolon"  by 
giving  a  knock  with  his  fist  on  the  table  and  making  a  comma; 
a  "  colon,"  by  giving  two  knocks ;  and  a  "  full  stop,"  by  one. 
For  the  sake  of  losing  as  little  time  as  possible  in  one  forfeit, 
it  is  not  necessary  to  request  more  than  the  points  or  stops 
to  be  made  on  the  "  country  table." 

3.  Journey  to  Rome.  The  person  whose  forfeit  is 
called,  must  go  round  to  every  individual  in  the  company 
to  tell  them  that  he  is  going  on  a  journey  to  Rome,  and  to 
assure  them  if  they  have  any  message  or  article  to  send  to 
his  Holiness  the  Pope,  he  will  feel  great  pleasure  in  taking 
it.  Every  one  must  give  something  to  the  traveller,  no 
matter  how  cumbrous  it  may  be,  or  awkward  to  carry 
(indeed,  the  more  inconvenient  the  articles  are,  the  more  it 
increases  the  merriment),  until  he  is  literally  overloaded 
with  presents.  When  he  has  gathered  from  all,  he  walks 
to  a  comer  of  the  room,  puts  the  articles  down,  and  so  his 
penance  ends. 

4.  The  Cushion.  The  owner  of  the  forfeit  takes  o, 
cushion,  and  gives  it  to  one  of  the  company,  who  then  kneels 
down  on  the  floor,  holds  the  cushion  a  little  before  him,  and 
requests  the  bringer  to  kneel  down  on  it;  as  the  latter 
attempts  to  kneel,  the  former  slides  the  cushion  away,  so 
that  the  unlucky  wight  kneels  on  the  carpet  instead ;  should 
he,  however,  be  fortunate  enough  to  kneel  on  the  cushion 
at  OBce,  he  takes  it  to  the  next  player ;  but  if  not,  he  must 


S6  MINOR    SPORTS. 

continue  his  attempts  until  he  is  successful.  The  cushion 
is  to  be  given  to  every  one  in  the  room  in  rotation,  and  the 
kneeling  penance  above  described  repeated  before  each. 

5.  The  Statue  op  Love.  The  player  who  owns  the 
forfeit  cried,  takes  a  candle  in  his  hand,  and  is  led  by  an- 
other to  one  end  of  the  room,  where  he  must  stand  and  rep- 
resent the  Statue  of  Love ;  one  of  the  players  now  walks 
up,  and  requests  him  to  fetch  some  lady,  whose  name  he 
whispers  in  Love's  ear ',  the  statue,  still  holding  the  candle, 
proceeds  to  execute  his  commission,  and  brings  the  lady 
with  him  ;  she  in  turn  desires  him  to  fetch  some  gentleman, 
and  so  it  continues  till  all  have  been  summoned.  The 
players  brought  up  by  Love,  must  not  return  to  their  seats, 
but  stand  in  a  group  round  Love's  standing-place,  until  he 
has  brought  the  last  person  in  the  company,  when  they  hiss 
him  most  vigorously,  and  the  forfeit  terminates. 

SCHIMMEL,  OR  THE  BELL  AND  HAMMER. 
To  play  this  amusing  game  requires  five  cards  of  figures, 
viz.  a  white  horse,  an  inn,  a  bell,  a  hammer,  and  a  bell  jand 
hammer;  eight  little  ivory  cubes,  marked  on  one  side  only; 
six  numbered  1,  2,  3,  4,  &c.,  and  the  other  two  marked, 
one  with  a  bell,  and  the  other  with  a  hammer;  a  box  for 
throwing  the  dice ;  a  hammer  for  disposing  of  the  cards  by 
auction,  and  a  proportionate  number  of  counters  for  the 
players.  The  game  may  bo  played  by  as  many  persons  as 
arc  present. 


SCHIMMEL.  37 

The  counters  are  then  to  be  distributed  by  one  of  the 
party  who  has  the  office  of  cashier;  their  value  having  been 
previously  determined  upon  by  the  players.  This  being 
done,  twelve  are  to  be  deposited  by  each  player  in  the  pool. 
The  cashier  then  disposes  of  the  five  cards,  separately,  to 
the  highest  bidders,  the  produce  being  also  placed  in  the 
pool.  The  bidders  are  not  bound  to  confine  themselves  to 
the  number  of  counters  dealt  out  to  them  at  the  beginning 
of  the  game;  should  they  exceed  it,  they  may  pay  the 
remainder  of  the  debt  by  instalments,  out  of  their  receipts 
in  the  course  of  the  game. 

Each  person  is  at  liberty  to  purchase  as  many  cards  as 
he  may  think  proper. 

The  dice  are  to  be  thrown  by  the  players  alternately, 
beginning  with  the  holder  of  the  White  Horse ;  any  one 
being  allowed  to  dispose  of  his  throw  to  the  highest  bidder. 
When  all  blanks  are  thrown,  each  of  the  players  pays  one 
to  the  holder  of  the  White  Horse,  and  he  pays  one  to  the 
Inn.  If  with  the  blanks,  the  Bell,  or  Hammer,  or  the  Bell 
and  Hammer  together,  are  thrown,  the  possessor  of  the  card 
80  thrown  pays  one  to  the  White  Horse. 

When  numbers  accompany  the  Bell,  Hammer,  or  Bell  and 
Hammer,  the  cashier  is  to  pay  counters,  to  the  amount  of 
numbers  thrown,  to  the  holder  of  such  card,  from  the  pool ; 
but  if  numbers  be  thrown  unaccompanied,  the  cashier  then 
paya  to  the  thrower. 


88  MINOR     SPORTS. 

"When  the  pool  is  nearly  empty,  there  arises  an  advantage 
to  the  Inn,  for  if  a  player  throws  a  figure  greater  than  the 
quantity  contained  in  the  pool,  he  pays  the  overplus  to  the 
Inn,  thus :  suppose  4  are  in  the  pool,  if  the  player  throw 
10,  he  is  to  pay  6  to  the  Inn ;  and  if  2  be  thrown,  those  2 
are  paid  to  him  from  the  pool,  and  so  on  till  a  figure  is 
thrown  which  clears  the  pool,  and  concludes  the  game. 

If  all  blanks  be  thrown  after  the  Inn  begins  to  receive, 
the  players  pay  nothing,  but  the  owner  of  the  White  Horse 
pays  one  to  the  Inn ;  should  the  Bell,  &c.,  be  thrown  with 
the  blanks,  the  holder  of  that  card  pays  one  to  the  Inn ;  and 
if  numbers  accompany  the  Bell,  &c.,  the  holder  of  that  card 
must  pay  to  the  Inn  the  number  thrown  above  those  remain- 
ing in  the  pool. 

DIBS. 
The  Dibs  are  five  of  the  small  cramp  or  trotter  bones  of 
sheep,  with  which  various  feats  are  performed.  First,  the 
player  extends  his  first  and  middle  finger,  and  having  placed 
on  the  back  of  them  a  Dib,  he  throws  it  up,  and. catches  it 
in  his  hand,  or  on  the  inside  or  back  of  his  fingers ;  and  then 
increases  the  number  of  Dibs  to  two,  three,  four,  and  five, 
which  are  thrown  up  separately  or  together.  A  single  Dib 
is  then  held  between  each  of  the  fingers  and  thumb  of  the 
left  hand,  whence  they  are  thrown  in  regular  succession  to 
the  right  hand ;  and  the  modes  of  jerking  and  picking  up 
the  Dibs  may  be  amusingly  varied.     The  order  of  the  game 


THE    GAME    OF    FINGERS.  89 

is,  that  as  soon  as  one  player  fails  in  the  feat  he  attempts, 
another  player  takes  up  the  Dibs. 

THE  GAME  OF  FINGERS. 

This  game,  also  called  Mora,  is  of  great  antiquity;  its 
invention  being  ascribed  to  Helen,  who,  it  is  said,  was 
accustomed  to  play  at  Mora  with  Paris,  the  son  of  Priam. 
The  game  may  be  played  by  two  or  four  persons,  and 
usually  consists  of  six  points;  but  this  is  settled  by  the 
players,  who  then  present  as  many  fingers  as  they  choose, 
calling  aloud  some  particular  number ;  and,  if  either  of  the 
numbers  thus  mentioned  agree  with  the  amount  of  fingers 
presented,  he  who  named  it  counts  one  toward  his  game,  by 
holding  up  a  finger  of  the  left  hand,  or  sometimes  a  fist  or 
elbow.  But  neither  player  is  permitted  to  count  it ;  on  the 
contrary,  both  numbers  are  incorrect.  When  a  player 
exclaims  "  all  I"  he  must  display  his  open  hand ;  and  the 
point  is  won  if  his  rival,  at  the  same  time,  exhibit  all  his 
fingfcrs. 

Dumb  Mora  is  played  as  above,  but  with  this  exception  : 
that  instead  of  calling  the  numbers,  the  players,  before  they 
commence  the  game,  agree  by  what  mode  they  shall  desig- 
nate odd  and  even ;  after  which,  whoever  utters  a  syllable. 
incurs  a  forfeit.  Should  any  diflGiculty  arise  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  game,  but  no  words  are  allowed  to  be  spoken, 
but  the  required  explanation  must  be  given  and  received 
by  signs. 


40  MINOR    SPORTS. 

DUMB  MOTIONS. 

This  dramatic  game  exercises  considerably  more  ingenuity 
than  its  name  implies.  It  is  played  by  sides,  who  toss  up 
for  innings.  The  winning  side  retire  to  some  distance,  and 
choose  some  trade  or  professional  employment,  which  may 
be  acted,  or  represented  by  "  Dumb  Motions."  They  then 
advance  to  the  other  side,  and  one  of  them  calls  out  the  first 
and  last  letter  of  the  name  of  the  trade  they  are  about  to 

represent.     Thus,  suppose  it  to  be  B r,  (Bricklayer) ; 

some  of  the  players  imitate  with  their  hands  the  spreading 
of  mortar  and  laying  of  bricks;  another  appears  to  carry 

on  his  shoulder  the  hod,  &c.    Or,  if  the  letters  be  S n, 

(Stonemason),  some  appear  to  be  chipping  stone,  and  others 
sit  as  if  they  were  sawing  stone :  the  more  mechanical  the 
trade  the  better.  Each  of  the  opposite  side  then  guesses 
within  a  few  minutes,  and  if  neither  be  correct,  the  trade 
is  named  by  the  "in"  party,  who  choose  another  trade. 
But,  should  the  trade  be  rightly  guessed,  the  sides  change 
places.  Should  either  of  the  side  misrepresent  the  trade, 
or  speak  during  the  work,  or  name  the  letters  incorrectly, 
the  whole  side  are  outj  and  a  workman  is  not  unfrequently 
thrown  off  his  guard,  by  the  opposite  party  asking  him  a 
question,  which,  if  he  answer,  he  is  at  fault.  Sometimes, 
the  working  side  are  called  men,  and  thase  who  guess  ar« 
masters. 


DRAWING    THE    OVEW.  41 

SNAP-APPLE. 
This  is  a  Christmas  sport,  and  is  played  as  follows :  An 
apple  is  fixed  upon  one  end  of  a  short  stick,  to  the  other 
extremity  of  which  is  fastened  a  lighted  candle.  A  string 
i?  then  tied  to  the  middle  of  the  stick,  by  which  it  is  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling  at  such  a  height  that  the  young 
people  may  catch  or  "  bob"  at  it  with  their  mouths,  their 
hands  being  tied  behind  their  backs. 

SNAP-DRAGON 
Is  another  Christmas  pastime.  A  dish  of  raisins  being 
prepared,  some  heated  brandy  or  spirits  of  wine  is  poured 
over  the  fruit,  and  then  set  on  fire,  the  other  lights  in  the 
room  being  extinguished.  The  young  folks  then  stand  round 
the  dish  to  pluck  out  the  lighted  raisins,  and  eat  them  as 
hastily  as  they  can,  but  rarely  without  warming  their  hands 
and  mouths.  The  blue  flames  of  the  burning  spirit,  and 
the  singular  and  spectral  appearance  which  they  give  to  the 
faces  of  the  busy  crowd,  are  a  source  of  considerable  mer- 
riment. 

DRAWING  THE  OVEN. 
Let  any  number  of  boys  seat  themselves,  one  behind  the 
other  on  the  ground,  and  clasp  each  other  round  the  waist ; 
two  players  should  then  take  hold  of  the  foremost  sitter, 
by  both  his  hands,  and  endeavour  to  detach  him  from  the 
line,  by  pulling  away  vigorously.     When  they  have  sue- 


42  MINOR    SPORTS. 

ceeded  in  doing  this,  they  take  hold  of  the  second  sitter  in 
the  same  manner,  and  so  continue  "drawing  the  oven," 
until  they  have  drawn  all  the  players  from  the  ground. 
This  game  is  also  called  "  Jack,  Jack,  the  bread  burns." 

HOPPING  BASES. 
Sides  are  chosen,  and  each  player  has  his  opponent ;  and 
the  parties  enter  their  bases  formed  by  a  line  drawn  the 
length  of  the  ground.  Each  player  then  folds  his  arms,  hops 
on  one  leg,  and  strives  to  get  into  the  opposite  base ;  which 
should  he  do,  the  vanquished  one  must  retire  from  the  game. 
The  victor  in  this  instance  may  then  return  to  aid  his  own 
party ;  and  the  game  is  won  by  those  who,  whilst  hopping, 
take  entire  possession  of  the  enemy's  base.  Should  any 
player  drop  the  leg,  he  is  out  of  the  game. 

WHOOP. 

One  player  takes  his  station  at  a  spot  called  the  "  home," 
while  the  others  go  to  seek  out  various  hiding-places  in  which 
to  ensconce  themselves;  when  all  are  ready,  one  of  them 
calls  out  "Whoop!"  on  which  the  player  at  the  "home" 
instantly  goes  in  search  of  the  hiders,  and  endeavours  to 
touch  one  of  them,  as  they  all  run  back  to  "  home ;"  if  he 
can  do  so,  the  one  caught  takes  his  post  at  the  home,  and 
he  joins  the  out-players. 


AG    OR    TOUCH.  48 


FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH. 


This  is  an  exceedingly  lively  and  amusing  game :  it  is 
played  by  two  parties,  as  nearly  equal  in  numbers  and 
strength  as  can  be  mustered;  one  party  take  hold  of  one 
end  of  a  strong  rope,  whilst  their  antagonists  take  hold  of 
the  other;  each  party  then  strive  to  pull  the  other  over  a 
line  chalked  or  marked  on  the  ground  for  the  purpose,  and 
those  who  are  so  pulled  over,  being  made  prisoners,  lose 
the  game. 

TAG  OR  TOUCH. 

Any  number  of  boys  can  play  at  this  game,  which  is  an 
exceedingly  spirited  one.  One  of  the  players  undertakes 
to  be  "Tag,"  or  "Touch,"  and  endeavours  to  touch  one  of 
the  others  as  they  are  running  about  in  all  directions,  try- 
ing to  avoid  him  as  much  as  possible ;  if  he  can  touch  one, 
the  player  caught  becomes  Touch,  and  in  his  turn  strives 
to  touch  one  of  his  fellow-players.  "Toucii  iron"  and 
"  Touch  wood"  are  frequently  called ;  and  when  the  boys 
can  touch  either  iron  or  wood.  Touch  has  no  power  over 
them;  but  the  moment  they  quit  either,  they  may  be 
"touched;"  and  sometimes  a  Touch  makes  prisoners. 

CROSS-TOUCH. 

In  this  sport,  when  Touch  is  following  one  player,  another 
runs  across  his  path,  between  him  and  the  party  pursued ; 


44  MINOR     SPORTS. 

upon  which  Touch  must  immediately  run  after  the  one  who 
crossed,  until  some  other  crossing  between  them,  must,  in 
his  turn,  be  followed ;  and  so  it  continues  changing,  until 
Touch  catches  one,  who  takes,  of  course,  the  office  of  Touch, 
and  the  game  is  continued  as  before. 

HUNT  THE  HARE. 

One  boy  is  chosen  "  Hare,"  and  runs  out,  when,  his  com- 
rades having  given  him  "  law,"  that  is,  time  to  run  a  cer- 
tain distance,  they  then  give  chase  and  endeavour  to  catch 
Hare  before  he  returns  home. 

BASTE  THE  BEAR. 

The  players  toss  up  for  the  first  Bear,  who  kneels  on  the 
ground  within  a  marked  circlo  j  each  selects  his  own  master, 
whose  office  it  is  to  hold  him  by  a  rope,  and  use  his  utmost 
efforts  to  touch  one  of  the  other  players,  as  they  try  to 
"  baste"  the  Bear  with  their  handkerchiefs  knotted  and 
twisted  very  tightly.  If  the  Bear's  master  can  touch  one 
of  the  assailants  without  dragging  the  Bear  out  of  the  ring 
or  letting  the  rope  fall,  the  boy  touched  becomes  Bear, 
selects  his  keeper  as  before  mentioned,  and  the  sport  is 
continued. 

HIDE  AND  SEEK. 
Tu  this  game  one  of  the  players  hides  a  handkerchief^  or 


DUCK    STONE.  45 

any  little  article  which  can  be  easily  secreted,  and  then 
desires  the  other  players  to  find  it ;  the  successful  seeker, 
in  his  turn,  hiding  the  same  thing  next  time.  Wh',)n  the 
seekers  approach  the  place  of  concealment,  the  player  who 
hides  the  article  must  answer  their  questions,  whether  "  they 
burn ;"  and  on  the  contrary,  when  they  wander  from  it,  he 
should  tell  them  that  they  "  freeze."  The  Greeks  had  a 
pastime  similar  to  our  Hide  and  Seek :  a  boy  seated  him- 
self in  the  midst  of  his  comrades,  and  closed  his  eyes,  or 
was  blindfolded  by  the  hand  of  another,  whilst  the  rest 
concealed  themselves ;  and  he  who  was  first  found  by  him 
after  he  was  permitted  to  rise,  took  his  place.  There  is 
another  kind  of  Hide  and  Seek,  called  also  Whoop  and 
Hide  J  where  one  party  of  boys  remain  at  "  home,"  while 
the  others  go  out  and  hide  themselves ;  when  they  are  hid, 
one  of  them  cries  "  Whoop,"  as  a  signal  for  those  at  home 
to  seek  after  them.  If  the  hidden  can  escape  the  vigilance 
of  the  seeker,  and  reach  home  unseen,  they  go  out  to  hide 
again;  but  so  many  of  them  as  are  caught,  on  the  contrary, 
become  seekers,  and  those  who  catch  them  have  the  privi- 
lege of  hiding  themselves. 

DUCK  STONE. 

This  game  cannot  be  played  by  fewer  than  three  boys  j 
and  if  the  number  be  eight  or  ten,  its  interest  and  liveliness 
are  increased.     It  should  not,  however,  be  played  roughly 


.46  MINOR    SPORTS. 

or  carelessly,  as  the  players,  through  negligence,  may  injure 
each  other  from  the  weight  of  the  stones,  and  the  force  with 
which  they  must  be  cast.  A  large  smooth  and  flat-topped 
stone  is  placed  on  the  ground,  and  at  about  six  or  eight 
yards  distance  is  marked  "  home."  Each  player  next  pro- 
vides himself  with  a  pebble  stone  somewhat  larger  than  a 
cricket-ball  J  and  the  game  is  begun  by  "pinking'  for 
"  duck,"  i.  e.  by  all  standing  at  the  ^^  home,"  and  throwing 
their  pebbles  in  succession  at  the  large  stone;  and  the 
player  whose  pebble  falls  or  rolls  furthest  from  the  large 
one,  becomes  Duck,  and  must  place  his  stone  on  it.  The 
other  players  next  cast  their  pebbles  at  it  singly,  from  the 
"  home,"  and  then  hasten  to  pick  up  their  pebbles,  so  as  to 
throw  again ;  but,  if  Duck  can  touch  either  of  them  before 
he  reaches  "  home,"  and  should  Duck's  own  pebble  not  be 
knocked  off  the  large  stone,  then  the  thrower  thus  touched 
becomes  Duck;  but,  if  he  be  quick,  he  may  call  out 
"  Double  duck"  before  Duck  is  able  to  kick  his  own  pebble 
off  the  large  stone,  or  cry  out  "Feign  double  duck,"  in 
which  case  both  the  "  ducks"  are  to  be  placed  on  the  stone 
together.  Sometimes,  the  "duck"  remains  on  the  stone 
after  four  or  five  have  thrown  at  it,  when  they  allow  their 
pebbles  to  rest,  but  in  attempting  to  pick  them  up,  Duck 
may  touch  either  of  the  throwers ;  till,  at  length,  another 
player  knocks  Duck's  pebble  from  off  the  large  stone ;  and 


SADDLE   MY    NAG.  47 

as  no  one  can  be  touched  until  it  has  been  replaced^  the 
several  players  gain  time  to  pick  up  their  pebbles,  and  i-each 
"  home*'  for  safety.  Should  all  the  players  have  thrown 
without  being  able  to  knock  the  "  duck"  off,  it  is  frequently 
proposed  by  one,  or  more,  to  Duck,  to  take  either  a 
"  heeler,"  a  "  sling,"  or  a  "  jump,"  towards  "  home,"  in 
order  that  they  may  have  a  chance  of  reaching  it.  The 
"  heeler"  is  performed  by  kicking  the  stone  backward  toward 
"  home ;"  the  "  sling,"  by  putting  the  stone  on  the  middle 
of  the  right  foot,  and  slinging  it  in  the  direction  of  "  home;" 
and  the  "jump,"  by  placing  the  stone  between  the  feet, 
and  holding  it  there,  while  a  jump  is  taken,  and  the  stone 
let  fall,  so  that  it  may  roll  forward ;  if  the  stone  be  so  far 
from  "home,"  that  one  sling,  jump,  or  heeler  will  not 
Ruflfice,  two,  or  more  of  each  may  be  taken,  provided  Duck 
allows  it;  but  if  the  player  does  not  reach  "home"  in  the 
number  of  slings,  &c.,  agreed  on,  he  becomes  Duck. 

SADDLE  MY  NAG. 
Two  leaders  should  toss  up  for  choice  of  sides,  and  each 
having  selected  six  or  eight  partners,  they  should  toss  again 
for  innings ;  the  loser  must  then  place  himself  quite  upright, 
with  his  face  to  a  wall,  against  which  he  rests  his  hands, 
and  one  of  his  partners  should  next  stoop  down,  and  put 
his  head  against  his  leader's  skirts ;  another  partner  also 
bends,  and  places  his  head  against  the  skirts  of  the  second 


48  Ml  \0R    SPORTS 

player,  and  the  rest  of  the  partners  must  take  their  placei 
in  the  same  manner,  one  behind  the  other;  when  thus 
ranged  they  are  called  "  Nags."  One  of  the  winning  party 
next  runs,  and  placing  his  hands  on  the  back  of  the  last 
Nag,  cries  "  "Warning,"  endeavours  to  spring  on  to  the  back 
of  the  first,  or  at  least  to  clear  as  many  Nags  as  he  can,  so 
as  to  leave  room  for  those  following  him  to  leap  on  the  backs 
of  the  other  Nags,  until  they  are  all  fairly  astride.  If  any 
of  the  Nags  sink  under  the  weight,  or  in  trying  to  support 
themselves,  touch  the  ground  either  with  their  hands  or 
knees, — or  if  the  riders  can  keep  their  seats  without  touch- 
ing the  ground,  whilst  their  leader  counts  twenty, — the 
riders  resume  their  innings,  and  begin  again ;  but  should 
there  not  be  sufficient  space  for  all  to  leap  on,  or  they  are 
unable  to  keep  their  seats  on  the  backs  of  the  Nags,  they 
lose  their  innings,  and  become  Nags  in  their  turn.  The 
Nags  may  also  cry  "  Weak  horse !"  when,  if  the  riders  do 
not  instantly  dismount,  iiiey  must  become  Nags. 

BUCK 

Is  played  by  two  boys,  pretty  nearly  equal  in  size  and 
strength ;  while  a  third  is  appointed  umpire,  to  see  that  the 
rules  are  correctly  followed,  and  no  unfair  advantage  taken. 
One  player  then  gives  a  back,  that  is,  stooping  down,  as  in 
leap-frog,  and  resting  his  head  against  a  wall ;  the  other 
player  then  springs  on  his  back,  and  holding  up  as  many 


prisoner's  base.  id' 

fingers  as  he  pleases,  calls  out  "  Buck,  Buck,  how  many 
horns  do  I  hold  up  ?"  Buck  endeavours  to  guess  the  pro- 
bable number ;  if  his  guess  be  incorrect,  the  ridor  gets  down, 
leaps  on  again,  holds  up  his  fingers,  and  repeats  the  question 
OS  before ;  and  so  continues,  until  Buck  names  the  right 
number,  when  the  rider  must  take  the  place  of  Buck,  and 
Buck  in  turn  jump  on  his  back.  It  is,  of  course,  unneces- 
sary to  hold  up  the  same  number  of  fingers  every  time  the 
question  is  asked.  Buck  is  usually  blindfolded  to  prevent 
foul  play,  but  this  precaution  is  not  requisite. 

PRISONER'S  BASE 

Is  a  very  lively  and  amusing  game,  and  is  played  as  follows : 
Two  captains  being  appointed,  they  "deep''  for  partners, 
i.  e.  they  advance  towards  each  other,  by  bringing,  alter- 
nately, the  heel  of  one  foot  to  the  toe  of  the  other,  until  at 
last  there  be  not  room  for  one  of  them  to  put  his  foot  down 
between  the  toe  of  his  opponent  and  his  own ;  this  player 
has  the  first  choice  of  partners.  The  best  number  for  this 
game  is  seven  or  eight  players  on  each  side,  although  it  may 
be  played  with  either  more  or  less.  The  bases  are  then 
drawn  at  one  end  of  the  ground,  and  are  divided  by  a  line, 
on  each  side  of  which  the  players  stand.  At  some  distance 
are  marked  the  prisons,  generally  in  corners  of  the  ground ; 
the  prison  of  one  party  facing  the  base  of  its  opponents,  and 
lying  crosswise  from  the  base  of  its  own  party. 
4 


W  MINOR    SPORTS. 

The  game  is  begun  by  a  plajer  from  one  side  running 
out  between  the  bases  and  the  prisons,  when  he  is  quickly 
followed  by  one  of  the  opposite  party,  who  endeavours  to 
catch  him ;  a  partner  of  the  first  player  next  dashes  out  to 
capture  the  second,  and  so  on,  both  sides  sending  out  as 
many  of  their  partners  as  they  please,  to  touch  or  take  their 
opponents.  But  a  player  must  not  touch  any  one  who 
started  after  him,  although  the  latter  may,  if  he  can,  touch 
him  before  he  gets  back  to  his  own  base ;  but  if  a  player 
has  taken  a  prisoner,  he  cannot  be  touched  in  making  his 
way  back  to  his  base  again.  A  player  can  touch  only  one 
of  his  opponents  each  time  he  leaves  his  base ;  and  every 
prisoner  must  be  taken  to  the  prison  of  the  opposite  party, 
where  he  remains  till  one  of  his  own  partners  can  manage 
to  touch  him ;  and  this  may  be  aided  by  the  several  pri- 
soners holding  each  other  by  the  hand  in  an  extended  line, 
so  as  to  reduce  the  distance  from  the  base.  The  player 
coming  to  rescue  the  captive  must  also  have  started  from 
his  base  after  the  other  has  been  taken  ;  and  the  released 
prisoner  and  his  companion  are  not  allowed  to  touch  any 
one,  or  to  be  touched,  as  they  return  home.  The  victors 
are  those  who  can  contrive,  at  the  same  period,  to  make  all 
their  opponents  prisoners.  Or,  instead  of  the  prisoners 
being  rescued,  they  are  drafted  into  the  enemy's  base,  and 
the  game  is  terminated  by  all  the  players  thus  passing  to 
one  side. 


STAG   OUT.  51 

Pris3ner*s  Base  is  mentioned  in  proclamations  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  III.;  and  Shakspeare  speaks  of  "the 
country  base."  The  game  was  formerly  played  by  men, 
especially  in  Cheshire,  and  the  adjoining  counties. 

RUSHING  BASES. 

Draw  two  bases,  with  a  wide  space  between  them.  All 
the  players  then  station  themselves  in  one  base,  except  one 
boy,  to  be  "  King  Caesar,"  by  choice  or  otherwise,  and  he 
places  himself  midway  between  the  bases.  The  men  then 
attempt  to  run  from  one  base  to  the  other,  and  the  King 
strives  to  catch  them ;  and  whenever  he  takes  one,  he  claps 
him  on  the  head  and  cries  thrice,  "Crown  thee,  King 
Caesar!"  and  he  must  thenceforth  assist  his  Majesty  in 
catching  the  rest  of  the  men,  each  of  whom  must,  as  he  is 
taken,  join  the  royal  party;  the  last  man  captured  being 
King  for  the  next  game.  The  crowning  must  be  distinctly 
pronounced  thrice,  else  the  captive  can  be  demanded  by  his 
party 

STAG  OUT. 
A  line  should  be  drawn  on  the  ground,  at  a  little  distance 
from  a  wall,  to  form  "  the  bounds,"  and  within  which  ono 
of  the  players,  as  the  "stag,"  stations  himself;  he  then 
springs  out,  with  his  hands  clasped  firmly  together,  and  en- 
deavours to  touch  one  of  the  other  players,  who  all  nin 


52  MINOR   SPORTS. 

from  hiiu  Should  he  succeed  in  touching  one,  he  rides  on 
Iiis  back  home  to  the  "bounds,"  and  the  player  thus 
touched  becomes  Stag. 

WARNING! 

Any  number  may  play  at  this  game.  A  base  should  be 
drawn  at  about  four  feet  from  a  wall,  within  which  one  of 
the  players  takes  his  station,  and  after  calling  out,  "  Warn- 
ing, once ;  warning,  twice ;  warning,  thrice ;  a  bushel  of 
wheat,  a  bushel  of  rye;  when  the  cock  crows  out  jump  I. 
Cock-a-doodle-doo !" — he  jumps  out  and  runs  after  the 
others ;  if  he  touch  one,  they  both  return  to  the  bounds, 
where  they  unite  hands,  and  after  crying  "Warning!" 
only,  rush  out  again,  and  each  strives  to  touch  an  opponent ; 
if  they  can  achieve  this,  they  all  return  and  join  hands  as 
before ;  the  next  time  they  sally  forth,  the  outside  players 
onli/  try  to  touch ;  of  course,  every  one  they  touch  returns 
to  "bounds"  with  them,  and  joins  the  line.  Should  the 
out-players  attack,  break  the  line,  and  put  the  party  to 
the  rout,  which  it  is  always  their  object  to  do,  the  discom- 
fited players  must  scamper  back  to  "bounds;"  this  the 
out-players  endeavour  to  prevent  by  capturing  them,  which, 
if  they  can  accomplish,  the  captives  are  compelled  to  carry 
their  captors  back  to  bounds.  After  a  player  has  sallied 
from  the  bounds,  and  has  touched  one  of  the  out-players,  ho 
should  run  home  with  all  speed,  to  avoid  being  caught  by 


LEAr-FROG.  58 

Ineir  opponents.     Wlien  three  players  have  been  touched, 
the  one  who  began  the  game  may  join  the  out  party. 

SEE-SAW. 

For  this  amusement  a  stout  plank  should  be  laid  across  a 
felled  tree  or  a  dwarf  wall ;  it  must  be  very  nicely  balanced 
if  the  players  be  of  the  same  weight,  but  if  one  be  heavier 
than  the  other,  the  end  on  which  he  intends  to  sit,  should 
be  the  shortest.  Two  players  then  take  their  seats  on  the 
plank,  one  at  each  end,  whilst  a  third  stations  himself  on 
the  middle  of  it ;  the  name  of  this  player  is,  in  some  places, 
"  Jack  o'  both  Sides,"  and  in  others  ^^  Pudding.''  As  the 
players  by  turns  make  slight  springs  from  their  toes,  they 
are  each  alternately  elevated  and  depressed ;  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  Pudding  to  assist  these  movements  by  bearing  all 
his  weight  on  the  foot  on  the  highest  end  of  the  plank,  be- 
yond the  centre  of  the  tree  or  wall  on  which  it  rests. 

A  see-saw  is  one  of  the  earliest  lessons  in  mechanics. 
The  cross  plank  is  the  lever j  or  first  mechanical  power;  and 
its  supporter,  the  felled  tree,  is  the  fulcruniy  or  prop  by 
which  the  lever  is  sustained.  A  reckoning-stone  is  a  natural 
see- saw. 

LEAP-FROG. 
This  game  will  be  best  understood  by  supposing  that  eight 
boys  are  playing  at  it :  seven  of  them  stand  in  a  row,  about 


64  MINOR     SPORTS. 

eighteen  feet  apart,  with  their  sides  to  the  leapers,  hands 
on  their  knees,  body  doubled,  and  head  bent  down.  The 
eighth  player  then  takes  a  short  run,  and,  placing  his 
hands. on  the  back  of  the  first  player,  leaps  over  him, 
then  over  the  second,  and,  in  like  manner,  over  all  the 
Dther  players,  one  after  the  other;  he  then  places  him- 
self down  in  the  line,  in  the  proper  position,  and  at  the 
right  distance  from  the  last  player ;  the  first  over  whom  he 
jumped,  rises  immediately  he  has  passed,  and  follows  him 
over  the  second,  third,  &c.,  who  all  rise  in  succession,  and 
leap  in  their  turn ;  and  after  they  have  successively  jumped 
over  the  last  players,  they  place  themselves  down  in  the 
line,  as  before  described ;  and  the  game .  continues.  Some 
players  stand  with  their  backs  to  the  leapers,  instead  of 
their  sides ;  the  mode  is  optional,  although  in  some  places 
it  is  usual  to  compel  those  who  can  jump  over  the  head, 
to  do  so. 

FLY  THE  GARTER. 

Chalk  or  make  a  line,  or  "the  garter,"  on  the  ground; 
on  this  line  one  of  the  players  must  place  himself  and  bend 
down  as  in  leap-frog,  while  the  other  players  in  rotation 
leap  over  him ;  the  last  one,  as  he  flies  over,  calling  out 
"  Foot  it ;"  if  he  should  fail  in  giving  this  notice,  he  is  out, 
and  must  take  the  other  boy's  place  at  the  garter :  the  boy, 
immediately  the  word  is  given,  rises,  and  places  his  right 


DUCK    AND    DRAKE.  '  65 

heel  close  to  the  middle  of  the  left  foot,  he  next  moves  the 
left  forwards  and  places  that  heel  close  up  to  the  toes  of  his 
right  foot,  and  bends  down  as  before ;  this  movement  is 
called  a  "  step,"  and  is  repeated  three  times.  The  other 
players  should  fly  from  the  garter  each  time  a  step  is  made, 
and  the  last  player  must  invariably  call  out  "  Foot  it,"  as 
he  leaps  over.  After  making  the  three  "  steps,"  the  player 
giving  the  back  takes  a  short  run;  and,  from  the  spot 
where  he  made  his  last  step,  he  jumps  as  far  forwards  as  he 
possibly  can,  and  bends  down  again;  the  others  jump 
from  the  garter,  and  then  fly  over.  Should  any  of  the 
players  be  unable  to  jump  easily  over  the  one  giving  the 
back,  and  rather  slide  down  upon,  or  ride  on  him,  the  player 
so  failing  must  take  the  other's  place  at  the  garter,  and  the 
game  be  recommenced;  if,  also,  through  the  impetus 
acquired  in  taking  the  jump  from  the  garter,  a  player  should 
happen  to  place  his  hands  on  the  back  of  the  player  bending 
down,  and  then  withdraw  them  in  order  to  take  the  spring 
over,  he  is  out,  and  must  take  his  turn  at  the  garter.  Some- 
times, the  boy  giving  the  back  takes  a  hop,  step,  and  a 
jump  after  he  has  footed  it  three  times ;  the  other  players 
doing  the  same,  and  then  flying  over. 

DUCK  AND  DRAKE 

Is  played  by  "  shying"  bits  of  slate,  or  tile,  the  flat  shells 
of  oysters,  or  thin  smooth  stones,  on  the  surface  of  a  pond. 


66  MINOR     SPORTS. 

Whatever  is  used  should  be  "  shied"  so  that  it  may  merely 
touch  the  surface  of  the  water,  otherwise  it  will  not  rebound 
several  times,  which  it  is  the  aim  of  the  player  to  make  it 
do ;  if  it  rebound  once,  it  is  a  "  Dick ;"  if  twice,  a  "  Duck  >*' 
if  thrice,  a  "  Dick,  Duck,  and  Drake ;"  and  that  player  wins 
the  game  whose  slate  or  shell  rebounds  the  oftenest. 

KING  OF  THE  CASTLE. 

One  player  stations  himself  on  a  mound  of  earth,  or  emi- 
nence, and  styles  himself  '^  King  of  the  Castle  :"  from  this 
station  his  playmates  endeavour  singly  to  pull  or  push  him 
oflf,  whilst  he  exerts  his  utmost  efforts  to  repel  them,  and 
maintain  his  position.  Whichever  player  dethrones  the 
king,  takes  his  place. 

DROPPING  THE  HANDKERCHIEF. 

A  tolerably  large  ring  should  be  formed  by  several  boys 
joining  hands  :  when  all  are  ready,  another  boy  who  stands 
out,  walks  round  outside  the  ring,  drops  a  handkerchief 
behind  one  of  the  players,  and  immediately  runs  off;  he  is 
instantly  followed  by  the  boy  behind  whom  he  dropped  the 
handkerchief,  and  who  must  track  him  in  all  his  windings 
in  and  out,  under  the  raised  arms  of  the  boys  in  the  ring, 
and  indeed  wherever  he  runs ;  should  the  pursuer  touch  the 
pursued,  the  former  takes  the  handkerchief  in  his  turn,  and 
the  latter  joins  hands  in  the  circle.     If  the  boy  who  dropped 


TWO   TO    ONE.  57 

the  handkerchief  be  enabled  to  elude  his  follower  by  passing 
through  and  about  the  ring,  the  latter  walks  round  again, 
and  drops  it  behind  some  other  player. 

HOP,  STEP,  AND  JUMP, 
Is  a  trial  as  to  which  of  the  players  can  go  over  the  greatest 
space  of  ground  in  a  hop,  step,  and  a  jump,  made  one  after 
the  other,  without  stopping.  They  may  be  commenced  either 
with  a  short  run,  or  else  standing,  at  the  option  of  the 
players. 

CASTING  THE  BALL. 
Casting  the  wooden  ball  is  an  excellent  recreation.  A 
bowl  similar  in  pattern  to  those  used  in  skittle-alleys — not 
those  used  for  nine-pins — should  be  procured ;  it  must  not, 
however,  be  so  large  nor  so  heavy  as  the  bowls  used  by  men, 
neither  should  the  finger-holes  be  so  wide  apart ;  and  the 
size  and  weight  should  always  be  adapted  to  the  size  of  the 
person  using  it.  In  casting  the  ball,  put  your  thumb  in  one 
of  the  holes,  and  your  middle  or  forefinger  in  another,  and 
then  throw  it  underhanded  either  to  a  mark,  or  at  random 
to  a  distance. 

TWO  TO  ONE. 

Two  to  One  is  a  capital  exercise  with  a  common  skipping' 
rope.  It  is  done  by  skipping  in  the  usual  way  for  a  short 
time,  aud  then  increasing  the  rapidity  of  your  movements, 


68  MINOR    SPORTS. 

and  leaping  tolerably  high ;  at  the  same  time,  endeavouring 
to  swing  the  rope  round  so  quickly,  as  to  pass  it  twice  under 
your  feet  whilst  leaping :  practise  this  until  you  are  profi- 
cient, and  then  try  to  pass  the  rope  three  times  under  your 
feet  instead  of  twice. 

LONG  ROPE. 

The  rope  is  held  each  end  by  a  boy,  and  turned  pretty 
regularly ;  and,  when  the  line  is  at  its  highest,  one,  two,  or 
more  boys  step  forward  between  the  holders,  and  jump  up 
as  the  rope  descends,  so  as  to  let  it  pass  under  their  feet  like 
the  common  skipping-rope.  The  leapers  should  keep  time 
with  the  turns  of  the  rope ;  and,  if  it  touch  either  of  them, 
he  must  change  places  with  one  of  the  holders.  Another 
game  may  be  played  by  holding  a  long  skipping-rope  at 
one  end  in  the  outside  hand,  making  a  step  or  two  towards 
the  other  player,  with  his  "  help"  at  the  other  end  swinging 
it  round,  and  then  skipping  over  it. 

THE  SNOW  STATUE. 

Making  a  snow  statue  forms  a  capital  amusement  when 
the  fields  "  put  on  their  winter's  robe  of  purest  white,"  and 
the  icicles  hang  glistening  from  the  eaves.  In  order  to  amasa 
enow  enough  for  the  purpose,  it  should  be  swept  up  into  one 
spot,  or,  to  insure  the  snow  being  ckan,  a  large  snow-ball 
should  be  made,  and  rolled  about  until  it  becomes  huge  and 


TUB   SNOW   STATUE  59 

unwieldy.  The  material  being  thus  provided,  the  statue 
should  be  rounded  and  shaped  as  neatly  as  possible ;  and, 
if  the  young  artists  possess  ingenuity  enough  to  make  their 
work  look  something  like  a  man,  and  not  a  heap  of  snow, 
80  much  the  better.  The  modellers  now,  by  common  con- 
sent, withdraw  to  a  stated  distance  and  begin  to  pelt  theii 
handy-work  with  snow-balls,  until  the  gigantic  figure  falls, 
feature  by  feature,  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  joyous  throng. 

A  lively  game  is  likewise  afforded  by  one  party  building 
a  fortification  of  snow,  behind  which  they  post  themselves  j 
and,  having  provided  themselves  with  snow-balls,  they  repel 
the  attacks  of  another  party  from  without,  who  endeavour 
to  drive  them  from  the  work,  by  pelting  them  vigorously 
with  snow-balls;  the  besieged,  of  course,  returning  the 
shower  of  balls.  These  balls  should  not,  however,  be  pressed 
too  tight,  else  they  may  be  so  hard  as  to  render  the  mimic 
siege  a  dangerous  one. 

Sir  "Walter  Scott  relates  of  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  that 
when  at  school  in  Brienne,  he,  one  winter's  day,  engaged 
his  companions  in  the  play-ground  in  constructing  a  fortress 
out  of  the  snow,  regularly  defended  by  ditches  and  bas- 
tions, according  to  the  rules  of  fortification.  It  was  attacked 
and  defended  by  the  students,  who  divided  into  parties  for 
the  purpose,  until  the  battle  became  so  keen  that  their  supe- 
riors thought  it  proper  to  proclaim  a  truce. 


60  MINOR    SPORTS. 

SNOW   AND  ICE   HOUSES 

The  building  of  houses  with  snow,  which  boys  sometimes 
practise  as  a  pastime  in  this  country,  is  a  matter  of  neces- 
sity in  the  Arctic  regions.  Sir  John  Ross  tells  us  that  in 
the  newly  discovered  peninsula  of  Boothia,  the  poor  Esqui- 
maux build  villages  of  snow  huts,  having  the  appearance 
of  inverted  basins,  and  lit  by  windows  of  clear  ice.  They 
are  built  with  wedge-shaped  blocks  of  snow,  the  joints  being 
also  fitted  in  with  snow ;  and  so  rapidly  is  this  done,  that 
a  house  is  often  roofed  within  an  hour ;  and  a  tent  is  scarcely 
built  in  less  time.  The  Esquimaux  children  have  also  a  toy 
architecture  of  their  own,  and  build  houses  with  equal  dex- 
terity. 

We  read,  too,  of  mansions  being  built  entirely  of  ice,  in 
some  northern  countries.  Such  was  the  magnificent  ice- 
palace  of  the  Empress  Anne,  which  was  erected  at  St. 
Petersburg,  in  January,  1740.  It  was  56  feet  in  length, 
and  21  feet  high ;  it  was  built  of  the  most  transparent  ice, 
cut  from  the- Neva  in  large  blocks,  which  were  squared  with 
rule  and  compass;  and  water  being  poured  between  the 
blocks,  it  froze  and  served  as  cement  or  mortar.  The  inte- 
rior was  completely  fitted  up ;  a  bed-room  had  a  suite  of 
furniture  entirely  in  ice.  On  the  outside  of  the  palace 
were  cannons  and  mortars  from  which  iron  balls  were  fired. 
The  whole  fabric  lasted  about  ten  weeks,  and  then  melted 
away.     In  the  same  year,  a  winter  of  unusual  seventy,  a 


HIPPAS.  61 

German  carvsd  in  ice  at  the  gate  of  Holstein,  in  Lubeck,  a 
lion  seven  feet  long,  surrounded  by  a  bulwark  of  ice,  on 
which  were  placed  five  cannons,  a  soldier,  and  a  sentry-box, 
all  of  ice. 

FOLLOW  MY  LEADER. 

A  spirited  boy  should  be  chosen  as  Leader,  and  the  other 
players  must  follow  him  in  a  line  :  he  commences  the  game 
by  jumping,  running,  hopping,  or  getting  over  any  obstacle 
that  may  present  itself,  and  then  continues  his  course, 
scrambling  over  everything,  and  varying  his  actions  as 
much  as  possible;  all  his  followers  must  strictly  follow 
"  the  lead :"  thus,  if  he  jump  over  a  ditch,  they  must  clear 
it;  if  over  a  gate,  they  must  do  that  also;  and*  in  every- 
thing follow  or  imitate  him  as  closely  as  possible.  If  any 
player  fail  in  performing  the  task,  he  must  take  his  place 
behind  all  the  rest,  until  some  other  player  makes  a  blunder, 
and  in  his  turn  goes  last. 

HIPPAS. 

This  pastime  consists  in  one  boy  endeavouring  to  pull 
another  from  the  shoulders  of  a  third  player,  who  carries 
him  as  on  horseback :  if  he  pull  his  opponent  off,  he  takes 
his  place.  This  game  should  not  be  played  on  rough  or 
•tony  ground,  but  upon  soft  turf. 


62  MINOR     SPORTS. 

WALK!  MY  LADY,  WALK! 

This  game  may  be  played  by  any  number  of  boys,  who 
ill  tie  large  knots  in  one  corner  of  their  pocket-handker- 
ehiefs,  and  then  toss  up  a  halfpenny,  to  see  who  shall  be 
'^  My  Lady ;"  the  loser  is  the  one  to  whom  the  part  falls, 
ind  he  must  be  blindfolded  and  stand  a  little  on  one  side, 
labile  the  others  go  in  succession  to  a  spot  marked  on  the 
ground,  and  jerk  their  handkerchiefs  between  their  legs,  as 
far  behind  them  as  they  possibly  can,  and  in  whatever  direc- 
tion they  plea-se.  When  all  the  boys  have  done  this,  My 
Lady  is  conducted  to  the  place  marked  on  the  ground,  and 
desired  to  "  Walk !  my  Lady,  Walk !''  which  she,  or  he  rather, 
complies  with  by  advancing  until  he  treads  on  one  of  tha 
'kerchiefs,  when  instantly  the  other  players  pick  up  theii 
handkerchiefs  and  compel  the  unlucky  owner  of  the  one 
trodden  upon  by  the  Lady,  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  good 
drubbing  from  the  knotted  end  of  theirs ;  after  which  he 
becomes  the  Lady,  and  the  game  continues  as  before. 

THE  SWING. 
To  a  timber  beam,  or  the  stout  limb  of  a  tree,  fasten  twv 
strong  ropes  of  equal  lengths,  and  at  the  ends  of  them  tie  & 
seat  as  firmly  as  possible.  A  player  takes  his  place  on  the 
seat,  and  motion  is  then  given  to  the  swing  by  another 
player  pulling  a  rope  attached  to  the  back  of  the  seat.  In 
putting  up  the  swing,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  ropes, 


SLIDING.  63 

and  whatever  they  are  fastened  to,  are  strong  enough,  and 
that  there  is  nothing  in  the  way  which  might  be  the  means 
of  causing  mischief  to  the  swinger. 

THE  PULLEY. 
Fasten  a  pulley  to  a  horizontal  beam  of  wood,  by  a  staple, 
or  to  the  strong  branch  of  a  tree  j  pass  a  rope  through  it, 
and  at  each  end  of  the  rope  tie  a  cross  piece  of  wood ;  two 
boys  must  take  firm  hold  of  these  pieces,  one  should  lie 
down  on  his  back,  and  let  the  other  pull  him  up  by  sinking 
himself  as  he  elevates  his  playmate;  in  his  turn,  he  is 
raised  in  the  same  manner  by  his  companion,  and  the  sport 
is  thus  kept  on,  each  rising  and  sinking  alternately,  some- 
what after  the  fashion  of  see-saw. 

SLIDING. 

Sliding  on  the  ice  appears  to  have  always  been  a  favourite 
pastime  among  young  persons  in  cold  climates.  It  would 
be  useless  to  insert  any  instructions  for  its  practice; 
for  a  few  falls  on  the  ice  will  be  far  more  impressive 
than  all  the  lectures  contained  in  the  pages  of  drowsy 
instruction. 

A  kind  of  sledge,  consisting  of  a  circular  seat,  with  a 
strong  rope  affixed  to  it,  may  be  sometimes  seen  upon  the 
ice ;  and  the  rider  having  seated  himself,  is  drawn  about  by 
his  companions,  or  whirled  round  with  great  velocity  until 
be  is  unseated. 


64  MINOR    SPORTS. 

"JACK!  JACK!  SHOW  A  LIGHT!"     • 

This  game  can  only  be  played  in  the  dusk  of  evening, 
when  all  the  surrounding  objects  are  nearly  lost  in  the  deep- 
ening gloom.  The  players  divide  into  two  parties,  and 
toss  up  for  innings,  which  being  gained,  the  winners  start 
off  to  hide  themselves,  or  get  so  far  away  that  the  others 
cannot  see  them — the  losers  remaining  at  the  "home.'' 
One  of  the  hiding  party  is  provided  with  a  flint  and  steel, 
which,  as  soon  as  they  are  all  ready,  he  strikes,  and  the 
sparks  guide  the  seekers  in  the  direction  they  must  take  to 
capture  the  others  ere  they  reach  "  home ;"  if  they  cannot 
touch  more  than  two  of  the  boys,  the  hiders  resume  their 
innings,  and  the  game  continues  as  before.  It  is  usual, 
however,  for  the  boys  at  the  "  home"  to  call  out  "  Jack, 
Jack  I  show  a  light  I"  before  the  possessor  of  the  flint  and 
steel  does  so.  When  one  party  is  captured,  the  flint  and 
steel  must  be  given  up  to  the  captors,  that  they  may  carry 
on  the  game. 


GYMNASTIC  EXERCISES. 


TRAINING. 
Prior  to  commencing  a  course  of  Gymnastics,  the  body 
ihould  be  in  good  health,  and  partially  trained  by  exercises 
in  walking,  running,  and  jumping. 

IN  WALKING 

The  head  should  be  kept  up,  the  body  erect,  but  not  stiflP, 
resting  upon  the  ball  of  the  foot,  not  on  the  toe  or  heel, 
the  shoulders  thrown  back,  and  the  arms  allowed  to  move 
freely  by  the  side. 

IN  RUNNING 
The  arms  should  be  kept  nearly  still,  the  elbows  to  the  sides 
of  the  body,  bringing  the  closed  hands  in  front  on  the  chest, 
and  the  legs  must  not  be  raised  too  high. 

IN  JUMPING 
The  knees  should  be  bent  so  that  jthe  calves  of  the  leg  may 
touch  the  thigh.  The  fall  should  be  on  the  toes,  and  never 
on  the  heels.  The  arms  should  swing  forward  when  taking 
ft  spring,  the  body  kept  forward,  the  breath  held,  and  in 
5  (65) 


66  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

taking  the  run  let  your  steps  be  short,  and  increase  in 
quickness  as  you  approach  the  leap,  coming  to  the  ground 
with  both  feet  together. 

THE  HIGH  LEAP 

May  be  taken  either  standing,  or  with  a  run.  For  the  for- 
mer keep  the  legs  together,  raising  the  feet  and  knees  in  a 
straight  direction.  For  the  latter  a  light  step  with  a  short 
run  quickening  gradually  as  you  approach  the  object  you 
wish  to  leap  over. 

THE  LONG  LEAP 

Kequires  the  spring  to  be  made  from  the  toes  of  one  foot, 
and  the  arms  and  body  to  be  kept  forward. 

THE  HIGH  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 

The  pole  should  be  taken  with  the  right  hand  level  with 
the  head.  Spring  with  the  right  foot  over  what  you  wish 
to  clear ;  and  as  you  alight,  turn  round,  bringing  your  front 
towards  the  place  you  leap  from. 

THE  LONG  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 
The  pole  must  be  firmly  placed,  and  the  body  thrown 
forward,  turning  round  as  you  cross  the  place  you  have  to 
leap  over. 


THE  JAVELIN.  67 

THE  DEEP  LEAP  WITH  THE  POLE. 

The  same  rules  as  for  the  last.  Throw  the  body  forward 
and  lower  the  pole  to  the  depth  you  have  to  leap,  coming 
to  the  ground  upon  the  balls  of  the  feet. 

LIFTING  AT  ARM'S  LENGTH. 

The  pole  is  taken  in  the  hand,  and  elevated  in  a  right 
line  with  the  arm,  which  must  be  stretched  out  at  full 
length. 

THE  ROPE. 

In  climbing  the  rope,  the  hands  must  be  moved  one 
above  the  other,  the  feet  to  be  drawn  up  alternately  with 
the  hands,  and  the  rope  grasped  firmly  between  them.  To 
avoid  blistering  the  hands  in  descending,  they  must  be 
lowered  one  after  the  other. 

THE  JAVELIN. 

This  is  an  excellent  gymnastic  recreation.  You  must 
have  a  pole  shod  at  one  hand  with  iron.  It  should  be 
grasped  with  the  whole  end,  the  butt  coming  between  the 
first  finger  and  thumb.  The  aim  must  be  taken  deliberately, 
and  the  javelin  properly  poised  before  it  is  cast.  The  arm 
in  doing  so  to  be  thrown  as  far  back  as  possible,  to  deliver 
the  javelin  with  greater  force. 


68  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

THE  LONG  CHALK. 
Mark  a  line  upon  the  ground,  to  which  the  toes  of  both 
feet  must  be  placed,  neither  of  which  must  move  beyond 
it.  Either  hand  is  then  thrown  forward  on  the  floor,  as 
far,  and  no  farther,  as  will  enable  you  with  a  spring  to 
regain  your  former  upright  position,  not  scraping  the  floor 
with  the  hand,  nor  disturbing  the  position  of  your  feet. 
After  you  have  ascertained  by  practice  the  distance  you  can 
fall  and  regain  your  original  position,  take  a  piece  of  chalk, 
and  make  a  mark  as  far  in  front  of  you  as  you  can  with 
your  disengaged  hand,  without  altering  the  position  of  the 
feet,  or  using  both  hands  in  rising. 

THE  HAND  SPRING. 
This  feat  is  performed  by  throwing  yourself  forward 
against  a  wall,  resting  upon  the  palm  of  the  hand  with  the 
fingers  upward,  the  feet  being  placed  at  a  distance  from  the 
wall,  which  will  enable  you  to  recover  an  upright  position ; 
for  according  to  the  distance  you  stand  from  the  wall,  the 
more  or  less  difficult  will  the  feat  be  found.  This  feat 
should  be  well  practised  before  commencing  the 

SPRING  FROM  THE  THUMB, 

Which  is  performed  by  resting  the  body  upon  the  thumb, 
the  inside  of  which  is  placed  against  the  edge  of  a  table, 
taking  care  that  it  rests  against  something,  or  else  you  may 


TUE    TRIUMPH.  69 

get  a  fall  by  driving  the  table  before  you.  By  continual 
practice  you  may  extend  the  distance  you  stiind  from  the 
table. 

THE  STOOPINQ  REACH. 

By  practising  this  feat  considerable  agility  may  be 
acquired.  A  line  should  be  drawn  upon  the  floor  againsi 
which  the  other  side  of  the  right  foot  must  bo  placed,  and 
the  heel  of  the  left  foot  placed  at  a  short  distance  behind 
the  right  foot  touching  the  line.  The  right  hand  must  be 
passed  under  the  knee  of  the  right  leg,  and  with  a  piece  of 
chalk  mark  a  line  as  far  in  advance  of  the  other  line  as  you 
can,  and  then  immediately  recover  your  position  without 
moving  your  feet  or  touching  the  ground  with  your  hands. 
The  knee  and  body  may  project  over  the  line  chalked,  but 
the  feet  must  be  kept  in  their  original  position.  In  this 
feat  there  is  no  spring  to  assist  you  in  rising,  as  the  chalk 
is  held  between  the  fore-finger  and  thumb. 

THE  TRIUMPH, 
So  called  from  the  difficulty  of  accomplishing  this  feat  with- 
out a  great  deal  of  practice.  The  palms  of  the  hands  mue  ^ 
be  placed  together  behind  you,  with  the  thumbs  nearest  the 
hack,  and  the  fingers  downwards;  and  then  keeping  the 
palms  as  much  as  possible  together,  turn  the  hands,  keeping 
the  tops  of  the  fingers  close  to  the  back,  until  they  are 


70  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

placed  between  the  shoulders,  with  the  thumbs  outward, 
the  tops  of  the  fingers  towards  the  head,  and  the  palms 
touching  one  another. 

THE  FEAT  WITH  THE  FINGERS 
Is  done  by  placing  your  arms  horizontally  close  to  and 
across  your  chest ;  the  fore-fingers  of  each  hand  pressing 
one  against  the  other.  When  in  this  position,  another  per- 
son may  endeavour  to  separate  them,  which  he  will  fail  to 
do  if  they  are  held  properly,  as  he  must  use  only  regular 
force,  and  not  jerk  them  suddenly. 

THE  FEAT  WITH  THE  POKER. 
A  common  fire  poker  must  be  held  between  the  fingers 
and  thumb,  which  by  the  motion  of  the  fingers  and  thumb 
you  must  endeavour  to  work  upwards,  the  poker  remaining 
perpendicular  the  whole  time.  This  is  a  much  more  diffi- 
cult feat  than  it  would  appear  at  first,  as  it  requires  not  only 
considerable  strength  of  finger,  but  also  knack,  which  can- 
not be  acquired  without  practice,  and  when  fiyst  attempted, 
will  be  found  very  difficult. 

KNEELING  DOWN 
Is  an  exercise  of  some  difficulty,  and  is  done  by  placing  the 
toes  against  a  line  chalked  on  the  floor,  and  kneeling  down 
and  springing  up  again  without  making  use  of  the  hands, 
or  moving  the  toes  from  the  chalk  line. 


BREA.BT    TO    MOUTH.  TI- 

TO REMOVE  A  CHAIR  FROM  UNDER  YOU  WITHOUT 
FALLING. 

The  body  is  placed  upon  three  chairs,  the  centre  one  of 
which  should  be  lighter  than  the  others,  the  head  resting 
upon  one,  and  the  heels  upon  the  other.  The  body  must 
be  stiffened,  and  the  chest  thrown  up,  keeping  the  shoulders 
down.  You  then  disengage  the  middle  chair,  and  move  it 
over  your  body  until  you  deposit  it  on  the  opposite  side. 
This  is  one  of  the  feats  which  at  first  is  found  very  difficult, 
but  which  by  practice  may  be  overcome,  provided  the  chair 
you  have  to  lift  is  not  too  heavy  for  your  strength. 

BREAST  TO  MOUTH. 

The  distance  from  the  outside  of  the  elbow  to  the  tip  of 
the  second  finger,  is  measured  on  a  cane  or  stick.  You 
must  then  grasp  the  stick  with  the  right  hand,  the  middle 
finger  being  placed  over  the  mark.  The  stick  must  be  held 
horizontally  before  you,  with  the  elbow  close  to  the  side, 
and  you  must  then  endeavour  to  raise  the  left  end  of  the  stick 
to  your  mouth,  without  changing  your  position  or  moving 
your  head. 

WALKING  ON  STILTS 

Is  a  habit  acquired  in  early  life  by  the  shepherds  of  the 
south  of  France  j  for  by  these  additional  legs  the  feet  are 
k«pt  from  the  burning  sand  in  summer,  and  from  the  water 


72  GYMNASTIC    EXERCISES. 

which  covers  the  sandy  plains  in  winter ;  and  by  gaining 
this  elevation,  they  acquire  such  an  increased  sphere  of 
vision  over  the  sandy  plains,  as  enables  them  to  see  their 
sheep  at  a  greater  distance  than  they  could  from  the  ground. 
Stilts  are  made  with  two  poles,  and  at  any  distance  from 
their  ends,  a  piece  of  wood,  flat  on  the  upper  surface  for  the 
foot  to  rest  on,  and  is  fastened  by  a  strap  attached  to  it,  and 
another  a  little  above  the  knee.  Stilts  made  high  enough 
to  be  used  as  supports  for  the  hands  are  better  tha©  those 
cut  off  just  above  the  knee  joint. 


CEICKET. 


The  laws  of  Cricket,  as  played  by  men  in  England  and 
the  United  States,  appear  to  us  too  complicated  for  little 
boys.  That  kind  of  cricket  which  is  actually  played  in  this 
country  is  a  very  simple  game,  and  sufficiently  amusing 
without  complicated  regulations. 

The  Wicket  is  a  long  rod  placed  on  low  supports.  Two 
wickets  are  placed  at  a  distance  proportioned  to  the  strength 
of  the  juvenile  arms  and  hands  that  are  destined  to  roll  the 
ball.  Sides  are  chosen,  and  a  toss-up  for  the  first  in.  The 
side  that  is  in  places  two  of  its  number  to  guard  the  wickets 
with  their  bats,  who  change  positions  at  each  hit,  the  rest 
waiting  for  their  turn.  When  a  wicket  is  knocked  down, 
the  player  who  guarded  is  out,  or  if  his  ball  is  caught  by 
one  of  the  opposite  side  before  touching  the  ground,  he  is 
out,  and  another  of  his  side  takes  his  place,  till  all  but  one 
are  out,  in  this  manner.  Then  the  opposite  side  is  in ;  and 
the  side  that  is  out  takes  its  turn,  two  rolling,  and  the  rest 
at  various  posts  waiting  to  catch  the  ball  or  go  after  it  when 
struck,  and  return  it  to  one  of  the  two  rollers. 

This  is  the  simple  Cricket  of  the  country  boys,  and  a 
most  delightful  exercise  it  affords. 

(73) 


ARCHEET. 


Although  no  longer  useful  as  a  military  exercise,  Archery 
is  still  much  in  vogue,  keeping  up  the  associations  of  a 
brilliant  antiquity.  So  lately  as  the  year  1753,  targets 
were  erected  during  the  Easter  and  "Whitsuntide  holidays 
in  Finsbury  Fields,  when  the  best  shooter  was  styled  "  Cap- 
tain," for  the  ensuing  year,  and  the  second,  "  Lieutenant." 
For  the  purposes  of  war,  the  bow  has  been  superseded  by 
fire-arms,  as  it  is  by  no  means  so  certain  of  aim,  for  moisture 
and  the  prevalence  of  wind  are  almost  fatal  to  the  use  of 
this  instrument,  besides  that  its  range  is  comparatively  limit- 
ed. In  many  parts  of  South  America  the  bow  is  still 
used,  and  is  eight  feet  and  a  half  in  length,  the  arrows  be- 
ing about  six  feet  and  a  quarter  in  length.  The  natives  use 
this  apparently  unwieldy  instrument  with  great  skill. 

THE  BOW. 
The  archer  must  choose  a  bow  adapted  to  his  height  and 
Btrength,  as  by  selecting  one  suited  to  a  stronger  person,  he 
(pill  find  this  delightful  exercise  become  a  toil,  and  he  will 

(74:) 


THE   STKING.  75 

be  prevented  hitting  the  mark.  The  bow  i*  flat  outside, 
called  the  back,  and  the  inside  part,  called  the  belly,  is 
round.  This  part  is  bent  inward.  If  the  bow  be  pulled 
the  reverse  way  it  will  break.  It  is  always  to  be  strung 
with  the  round  part  inward,  however  it  may  be  bent  when 
unstrung. 

ARROWS. 
Arrows  must  always  be  in  length  and  height  propor- 
tioned to  the  bow  with  which  they  are  intended  to  be  used. 
They  vary  according  to  the  fancy  of  the  archer,  and  are 
used  either  blunt  or  sharp ;  some  are  made  to  taper  from 
the  pile  to  the  feathers,  and  some  vice  versd;  and  some  are 
made  thickest  in  the  centre ;  but  those  first  mentioned  are 
the  most  to  be  preferred.  The  notches  that  fit  to  the  string 
of  the  bow  should  be  cased  with  horn,  and  they  must  fit 
with  great  exactness,  not  being  too  tight  nor  too  loose. 
Three  turkey  or  gray  goose  feathers  are  affixed  to  arrows ; 
one  of  these,  generally  of  a  different  colour  from  the  other 
two,  and  called  the  cock  feather,  must  be  placed  uppermost 
on  the  string. 

THE  STRING. 

To  prevent  the  string  from  being  weakened  by  friction, 
that  part  t>f  it  which  receives  the  notch  of  the  arrow  is 
whipped  with  silk ;  if  this  should  come  off,  it  must  be  re- 


76  ARCHERY. 

whipped  at  once,  or  the  string  in  all  probability  will  break, 
and  frequently  the  bow  at  the  same  time.  A  string  should 
never  be  permitted  to  remain  twisted  or  ravelled ;  it  must 
be  thrown  on  one  side  and  re-twisted  and  waxed,  before  it 
is  used  again.  In  stringing  the  bow,  the  string  must 
always  be  from  the  centre  of  the  bow  proportionate  to  its 
length ;  for  instance,  a  bow  five  feet  long  should  have  the 
string  about  five  inches  from  the  centre. 

THE  QUIVER. 
The  quiver  is  usually  made  of  wood  or  leather,  sometimes 
tin,  and  is  seldom  worn  except  in  roving. 

THE  TASSEL. 
The  tassel  is  used  for  cleaning  the  arrow  from  dirt,  which 
when  it  enters  the  ground  may  adhere  to  it ;  for  if  it  were 
allowed  to  remain,  it  would  render  the  course  of  the  arrow 
untrue,  and  also  impede  its  flight.  So  that  it  may  be  always 
at  hand,  it  is  suspended  on  the  left  side  of  the  archer. 

THE  GLOVE. 
The  glove  has  three  finger  stalls,  which  should  not  pro- 
ject over  the  tops,  nor  cover  the  first  joint.  It  has  also  a 
back  thong,  and  a  wrist-strap  to  fasten  it,  and  is  worn  on 
the  right  hand,  and  its  purpose  is  to  prevent  the  fingers 
from  being  hurt  by  the  string. 


BUTTS.  77 

THE  BRACE. 
The  brace  is  to  afford  protection  to  the  left  arm  from 
being  injured  by  the  string,  for  without  this,  in  all  proba- 
bility the  archer  would  be  prevented  shooting  for  any  length 
of  time.  It  is  made  of  stout  leather,  having  a  very  smooth 
surface,  which  should  be  kept  continually  greased,  that  the 
string  may  meet  with  no  impediment  in  gliding  over  it. 
It  frequently  happens  that  the  archer's  arm  is  considerably 
and  dangerously  bruised  by  the  bow  string,  by  not  paying 
proper  and  careful  attention  to  the  above  rule. 

THE  BELT,  POUCH,  AND  GREASE-BOX. 
The  belt  buckles  round  the  waist,  the  pouch  being  sus . 
pended  on  the  right  side,  and  the  grease-box  from  the 
middle.  The  grease-box  contains  a  composition  for  greasing 
the  finger  of  the  shooting  gloves,  and  the  brace  when  occa- 
sion may  require  it.  The  pouch  is  intended  to  hold  the 
arrows  required  for  immediate  use  in  target  shooting. 

THE  ASCHAM. 
The  Ascham  is   a  case,  containing  compartments  and 
drawers  for  the  reception  of  all  the  necessary  accoutrements 
of  the  archer. 

BUTTS. 
Butt«  are  artificial  mounds  of  turf,  built  according  to  the 
(aucy  of  the  archer.     They  are  generally  made  about  seven 


78  ARCHERY. 

feet  high,  eight  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  thick.  In  the 
centre  of  the  butt  a  circular  piece  of  card-board  is  placed 
for  a  mark,  varying  in  diameter  according  to  the  distance 
the  archer  shoots ;  for  sixty  yards,  it  should  be  six  inches 
in  diameter,  and  for  eighty  yards,  eight  inches ;  and  so  on 
in  proportion.  He  who  places  the  most  arrows  in  the  card- 
board is  the  winner ;  and  those  shot  outside  the  mark  are 
not  counted. 

TARGETS. 

Two  targets  are  invariably  placed  opposite  each  other,  m 
order  to  avoid  a  waste  of  time  in  going  to  fetch  the  arrows, 
and  returning  to  a  particular  spot  to  shoot  from.  Targets 
are  made  of  various  dimensions,  depending  upon  distance. 
They  are  usually  four  feet  and  a  half  in  diameter  for  100 
yards,  and  so  on  in  proportion  to  a  less  distance.  The  shot 
in  the  gold  or  centre  wins.  Each  circle  (gold,  red  inner, 
white  and  black)  has  a  proportionate  value,  viz.,  10,  8,  6, 
4,  and  the  outer  white,  1.  Some  targets  are  made  with  a 
facing  of  canvas  sewn  on  straw  used  for  the  purpose ;  but 
they  are  generally  fixed,  being  too  heavy  for  the  archer  to 
carry  about :  others  are  made  of  mill-board  for  roving,  being 
portable  but  not  so  durable.  The  arrow  must  be  extracted 
from  the  ground  in  the  same  direction  as  it  entered,  and  held 
as  near  the  pile  as  possible,  for  by  not  properly  attending 


ROVING.  79 

to  these  instructions  you  will  probably  break  a  great  many 
arrows. 

POSITION. 

The  position  should  be  erect,  firm,  and  partly  side-ways, 
the  face  turned  towards  the  mark,  but  no  part  of  the  front 
of  the  body ;  the  heels  must  be  a  few  inches  apart,  and  the 
head  bent  forward.  The  bow  is  held  in  the  left  hand,  in  a 
perpendicular  position,  with  the  wrist  bent  inwards,  the 
arrow  to  be  brought  towards  the  right  ear,  not  towards  the 
eye.  The  arrow  must  be  drawn  from  the  pouch  by  the 
middle,  and  carried  over  the  left  side  of  the  bow,  under  the 
string,  and  the  notch  placed  in  the  string  with  the  dark 
feather  uppermost.  While  lifting  the  bow  with  the  left 
hand,  the  right  should  be  engaged  in  drawing  the  string, 
using  the  first  two  fingers  only,  and  not  the  thumb.  Take 
the  aim  when  the  arrow  is  three  parts  drawn ;  and  when  it 
reaches  the  head,  it  should  be  let  fly,  or  else  the  bow  may 
snap.  Bad  attitudes  in  archery  are  extremely  inelegant, 
and  even  ridiculous,  and  also  will  be  found  to  impede  the 
archer's  success;  therefore,  your  first  study  must  be  to 
acquire  an  easy  and  proper  position. 

ROVING. 
BoTing  will  be  found  a  very  pleasant  exercise,  and  by 


80  ARCHERY. 

some  is  preferred  to  target-shooting.  The  mark  should  be 
some  conspicuous  object,  such  as  a  bush  or  tree.  If  an  arrow 
is  within  two  bows'  length  of  the  mark,  whatever  it  may 
be,  then  it  counts  one,  seven  or  ten  being  the  game.  The 
one  shooting  nearest,  has  the  privilege  of  fixing  the  next 
mark.  BJunt-headed  arrows  are  the  best  for  this  style  of 
shooting,  as  it  will  be  found  difficult  to  extract  the  sharp- 
headed  ones,  if  firmly  driven  into  a  tree,  without  breaking 
them  or  cutting  the  wood  away  around  the  arrows.  They 
are  not  restricted  to  space,  but  may  rove  from  field  to  field, 
taking  care  to  see  that  there  is  no  one  near  the  mark  they 
shoot  at,  for  fear  of  some  accident,  particularly  when  using 
sharp-headed  arrows. 

DISTANCE,  OR  FLIGHT  SHOOTING. 
Flight  shooting  does  not  require  any  particular  aim,  and 
therefore  does  not  improve  a  young  archer  wishing  to  excel 
as  a  marksman.  It  consists  merely  in  shooting  to  as  great 
*  distance  as  possible,  and  of  course  the  one  shooting  farthest 
.-^sores  one,  seven  or  ten  being  the  game,  as  agreed  upon. 
This  kind  of  shooting  has  a  very  injurious  effect  upon  the 
bow,  rendering  it  more  liable  to  be  broken  than  at  any  other 
kind  of  shooting  with  the  long  bow. 

CLOUT  SHOOTING. 
When  butts  or  targets  cannot  be  set  up  near  home,  clout 
shooting  may  be  practised.     The  clout  is  sometimes  made 


BTRINGINa    THE    BOW.  81 

of  paste-board,  and  sometimes  of  white  cloth  fastened  upon 
a  stick.  All  arrows  that  fall  within  two  bows'  length  of  the 
mark,  score  one,  and  seven  or  ten  is  the  game. 

STRINGING  THE  BOW. 

This  is  a  very  difficult  operation,  and  requires  a  good 
Jeal  of  practice  to  perform  it  well.  In  order  to  make  the 
following  directions  more  simple,  it  may  be  well  to  state, 
that  the  upper  end  of  the  bow  is  the  one  which  has  the 
long  bone,  and  the  other  with  the  short  bone  is  called  the 
lower  end,  and  the  middle  of  the  bow  is  generally  called  the 
handle. 

Turn  the  flat  side  of  the  bow  towards  your  body,  and 
take  the  upper  end  of  it  in  your  left  hand,  placing  the  other 
end  on  the  ground,  against  the  inside  of  the  right  foot. 
Having  put  the  eye  of  the  bowstring  above  your  left  hand, 
catch  the  bow  by  the  handle  and  pull  it  up  with  consider- 
able force,  at  the  same  time  move  the  left  hand  upwards, 
till  the  eye  of  the  string  is  placed  completely  into  the  nock. 
For  the  sake  of  enabling  you  with  greater  ease  to  move  up 
the  eye  of  the  bowstring,  you  should  press  the  wrist  of  the 
left  hand  firmly  against  the  bow,  as  that  will  allow  you  to 
work  the  fingers  gradually  upwards.  You  will  easily  observe 
the  advantages  of  this ;  for,  when  the  string  tightens,  as 
the  eye  approaches  the  nock,  you  will  find  it  necessary  to 
UBO  every  stratagem  in  addition  to  your  whole  strength. 
G 


S2  ABOHEBT. 

In  unstringing  the  bow,  you  place  the  same  end  on  the 
ground  as  you  did  when  stringing  it :  but  as  you  now  want 
to  undo  what  you  did  before,  you  must  reverse  the  position 
of  the  bow  by  turning  the  string  upwards :  you  then  slacken 
the  string,  by  pressing  the  hand  against  the  bow  till  you 
are  enabled  to  lift  the  eye  out  of  the  nock,  which  you  can 
easily  accomplish  with  the  thumb. 


ANGLING. 


Theue  appears  to  be  some  enduring  charm  connected 
with  this  delightful  summer  sport,  for  we  find,  that  many 
pursue  it  with  as  much  enthusiasm  in  a  "  good  old  age,"  as 
ever  they  did  in  their  "  boyish  days."  This  amusement  is 
in  fact  such  a  universal  favourite,  that  there  is  no  particular 
age  or  class  that  can  be  said  to  follow  it,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  other  sports ;  for  it  is  enjoyed  equally  by  the  old  and 
the  young,  by  the  professional  man  and  the  man  of  business ; 
by  the  military  man  and  by  the  statesman ;  and  each,  as  he 
has  the  time  and  opportunity,  studies  it  with  more  careful 
attention.  And  yet  we  cannot  help  wondering  why  angling 
should  be  so  eagerly  pursued  by  those  of  all  ages  and  profes- 
sions, when  we  remember  that  it  demands  a  greater  amount  of 
patience  and  perseverance  than  is  required  in  the  pursuit  of 
any  other  sport.  We  have  heard  many  reasons  given  for  this ; 
bat  as  it  would  occupy  too  much  space  to  enumerate  them 
all  here,  we  shall  give  only  the  general  conclusion  at  which 
we  ourselves  have  arrived,  viz.,  there  is  so  much  variety 
connected  with  it,  from  first  to  last,  that  many  different  dis- 
positions find  something  in  it  to  attract  them.     Some  will 

(83) 


84  ANGLING. 

take  as  much  delight  in  arranging  the  flies  in  their  pocket, 
book,  as  others  do  when  enjoying  the  sport  on  the  banks 
of  a  river ;  while  others  find  their  pleasure  in  adjusting  the 
hooks  on  the  line,  and  otherwise  preparing  the  rod.  Our 
young  friends  will  find  full  directions  given  in  the  following 
pages : — 

RODS. 

Your  first  care  will  be  to  provide  yourself  with  good 
rods,  lines,  floats,  and  hooks,  as  almost  every  fishing  station 
requires  something  different.  A  rod  of  bamboo  (with  three 
or  four  tops  of  different  lengths)  about  eight  or  ten  feet  in 
length  will  be  found  the  most  serviceable,  and  it  is  neces- 
sary that  it  should  be  fine  and  taper,  with  rings  for  a  run- 
ning line.  This  description  of  rod  is  the  best  you  can  get 
for  punt-fishing,  care  being  taken  to  choose  it  light  and 
elastic.  Hickory  rods  may  be  procured  very  cheap,  and 
are  quite  good  enough  for  "  little  boys."  Fly  rods  are  much 
lighter  and  more  elastic,  and  should  spring  well  from  the 
butt-end  to  the  top. 

The  rod  must  be  kept  where  it  will  not  get  damp,  as  that 
will  rot  it;  nor  must  it  be  kept  in  too  dry  a  place,  for  that 
will  crack  it.  In  putting  your  rod  together  in  warm  weather, 
do  not  wet  the  joints  too  much,  or  else  you  will  find  it 
difficult  to  separate  them,  as  they  will  stick  if  you  wait  till 
they  dry ;  and  in  using  force  to  get  them  asunder  you  may 
Btrain  your  rod. 


BAITS.  86 

LINES. 
The  best  lines  are  those  commonly  called  '^gut"  and 
"hair;"  the  latter  for  fine  clear  water:  they  should  be 
chosen  round  and  even :  other  lines  are  made  of  plaited 
Bilk.  Always  purchase  them  at  a  shop,  until  you  have 
gained  sufficient  experience  to  make  them  yourself.  This 
will  also  apply  to 

HOOKS. 

In  choosing  them,  see  that  the  barb  is  of  a  good  length, 
the  points  sharp,  and  that  the  gut  or  hair  is  round  and  even. 
They  are  numbered  for  convenience,  to  distinguish  them 
or  the  fish  they  are  intended  to  take. 

FLOATS. 
^,    Cork  or  reed  are  the  best  for  a  running  stream,  duck 
quills,  or  porcupine,  for  pond  fishing.     Small  shot  are  the 
best  to  poise  the  float,  as  it  is  better  to  have  a  greater  num- 
ber of  shot  in  preference  to  a  few  large  ones. 

BAITS. 
The  lob-worm  is  a  good  bait  for  salmon,  trout,  perch, 
chub,  and  eels ;  and  is  to  be  found  with  the  dew-worm  in 
loamy  soils,  or  fallow  fields  newly  ploughed.  Gilt  tails,  or 
brandlings,  and  red  worms  are  to  be  found  in  old  dung-hills, 
hot-beds,  &c.,  and  are  good  bait  for  tench,  perch,  bream, 
and  gudgeon,  when  well  scoured,  which  is  done  by  placing 


86  ANGLING. 

them  in  moss  for  a  few  hours.  The  oak'Worm,  cabbage- 
worm,  canker-worm,  and  cole  wort-worm  are  to  be  found  on 
the  leaves  of  trees,  plants,  &c.,  and  are  good  bait  for  chub, 
trout,  roach,  dace,  or  tench.  Maggots  or  gentles  are  readily 
taken  by  all  kinds  of  fish ;  they  must  be  kept  in  wheat  bran 
to  scour  them.  Minnows,  dace,  bleak,  perch,  &c.,  are  good 
bait  for  pike.  Greaves  are  a  good  bait  for  barbel,  roach, 
chub,  and  dace.  The  wasp  grub,  and  the  grasshopper,  are 
eagerly  taken  by  almost  any  fish  in  clear  streams  about 
raid-water, 

ARTICLES  REQUISITE  FOR  ANGLERS. 

Hooks  of  various  sizes;  floats;  lines;  caps,  for  floats; 
split  shot;  gentle  box;  worm  bags;  a  plummet,  for  taking 
the  depth;  landing  net;  clearing  ring;  disgorger;  winches 
for  running  line ;  pan,  for  live  bait,  &c.  The  lines  should 
be  four  yards  long. 

SALT  WATER  ANGLING. 

At  the  mouths  of  rivers  flowing  up  from  the  sea,  piers, 
6Lc.f  wnitmg,  plaice,  turbot,  &c.,  may  be  taken.  Bait  with 
shrimps,  gentles,  or- red  worms  at  the  mouth  of  rivers;  and 
when  angling  from  a  boat  or  pier,  &c.,  a  raw  crab,  a  piece 
of  whiting,  or  two  or  three  red  worms.  The  tackle  neces- 
sary will  be  a  strong  rod,  good  line  leaded,  large  hook,  and 
!ork  float. 


OBSERVATIONS.  87 

OBSERVATIONS. 
For  bottom  fishing  care  should  be  taken  properly  to 
plumb  the  depth  without  disturbing  the  water.  When  the 
water  is  not  deep,  keep  as  far  from  it  as  you  can.  The  use 
of  fine  tackle  will  enable  you  the  sooner  to  become  proficient. 
Do  not  lose  your  patience  if  you  do  not  at  once  meet  with 
the  success  you  anticipated,  or  if  your  tackle  breaks,  but 
endeavour  to  repair  it.  In  close  weather,  or  with  a  gentle 
rain,  fish  will  bite  best ;  also  with  a  gentle  wind  from  the 
south-west.  Fish  will  seldom  bite  with  a  north  wind, 
except  in  sheltered  places.  Keep  the  sun  in  your  face,  if 
possible,  as  your  shadow  will  frighten  the  fish.  If  you 
should  hook  a  good  fish,  keep  your  rod  bent,  or  he  will 
break  your  line,  or  his  hold.  Never  attempt  to  land  a 
large  fish  by  laying  hold  of  the  line,  but  always  have  a  land- 
ing net  prepared.  In  the  morning  early,  or  after  five  in 
the  evening,  are  the  best  parts  of  the  day  for  angling.  Al- 
ways keep  your  tackle  neat  and  clean,  and  they  will  be 
ready  when  required.  Take  care  to  be  well  clad,  and  wear 
thick- soled  shoes,  or  you  may  take  cold.  If  you  should  fish 
in  company  with  any  one,  let  there  be  a  distance  of  forty 
yards  between  you.  Fish  as  close  to  the  bank  as  you  can. 
Patience  in  this,  as  in  every  pursuit  of  life,  is  particularly 
essential,  for  with  perseverance,  success  must  eventually 
Utend  you. 


SWIMMING. 


The  many  advantages  of  swimming  are  too  generally 
appreciated,  to  require  that  we  should  enter  here  into  any 
lengthened  recommendation  of  the  art.  It  may  be  sufficient 
to  draw  attention  to  the  fact,  that  those  who  cannot  swim, 
invariably  express  great  regret  for  not  having  learned : 
while  those  who  can,  always  speak  of  it  with  evident  feelings 
of  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  These  facts  are  sufficient 
proof  of  the  high  and  universal  estimation  in  which  it  is 
held,  and  we  would  earnestly  advise  our  young  friends,  not 
to  lose  any  opportunity  of  acquiring  an  art,  the  practice  of 
which  is  so  conducive  to  the  health  and  vigour  of  the  body, 
and  is  frequently  the  means  of  saving  not  only  our  own  lives, 
but  the  lives  of  others. 

TO  BEGIN  TO  LEARN  TO  SWIM. 

To  put  yourself  in  a  right  posture  for  swimming,  lie 
down  gently  on  your  face,  keep  your  head  and  neck  upright, 
your  breitot  advancing  forward,  and  your  back  bending; 
withdraw  your  legs  from  the  bottom,  and  immediately  stretch 

(88) 


TO  RETURN   BACK  AGAIN   IN   SWIMMING.      89 

them  out  in  imitation  of  a  frog,  strike  out  your  arms  for- 
ward, and  spread  them  open,  then  draw  them  in  again  to- 
wards your  breast ;  strike  forward,  make  use  first  of  your 
feet,  then  of  your  hands,  as  many  strokes  as  you  can,  and 
you  will  find  this  way  easy  and  pleasant.  I  have  been  used 
to  persuade  those  whom  I  have  taught  to  swim,  not  at  all  to 
fear  lying  along  the  water  when  they  know  the  bottom. 
It  will  sometimes  happen  that  you  will  drink  down  some 
water,  but  that  ought  not  to  discourage  you ;  nor  need  you 
fancy  to  yourself  that  you  are  not  as  capable  of  learning  and 
swimming  as  well  as  others,  for  the  same  thing  happens 
almost  to  all  beginners;  besides,  it  is  common,  at  first 
learning,  in  lying  along  the  water  to  sink  down,  and  be 
almost  stifled  in  holding  one's  breath.  It  is  usual  at  first, 
for  these  reasons,  to  administer  sundry  helps :  as,  to  hold 
up  their  chins,  or  give  them  a  bundle  of  corks,  or  bladders, 
which  are  the  best  helps  for  young  beginners. 

Take  special  care  that  the  water  is  not  higher  than  your 
breast,  nor  shallower  than  up  to  near  your  waist. 

TO  RETURN  BACK  AGAIN  IN  SWIMMING. 
To  turn  back,  you  must  turn  the  palm  of  your  right 
hand  outward  from  you,  and  strike  out  the  arm  the  same 
way,  and  do  exactly  the  contrary  with  your  left  hand  and 
arm,  striking  that  inwards  the  contrary  way,  embracing,  as 
it  were,  the  water  on  that  side. 


90  SWIMMING. 

TO  FLOAT  OR  SWIM  WITH  THE  FACE  TOWARD  THE 
SKY. 

When  you  are  upright  in  the  water,  lie  down  on  your 
back  very  gently,  elevate  your  breast  above  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  in  the  mean  while  keep  your  body  always 
extended  in  the  same  right-line,  your  hands  lying  on  your 
stomach,  striking  out  and  drawing  in  your  legs  successively, 
and  govern  yourself  accordingly.  The  best  way  to  begin 
will  be  by  the  assistance  of  some  one's  hand,  or  a  bundle  of 
corks,  or  bladders ;  you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  lie  down 
gently,  and  take  especial  care  that  you  do  not,  through  fear, 
put  down  one  of  your  legs  to  feel  for  the  bottom,  for  you 
need  not  fear  sinking,  but  such  a  motion  of  the  foot  is  the 
way  to  make  you  do  so. 

HOW  TO  TURN  IN  THE  WATER. 

To  turn  easily  you  must  incline  your  head  and  body  to 
the  side  you  would  turn  to,  and  at  the  same  time  move  and 
turn  your  legs  after  the  same  manner,  as  you  would  do  to 
turn  the  same  way  on  land;  this  hinders  and  stops  the 
motion  of  your  body  forwards  all  at  once. 

If  you  will  turn  to  the  left,  you  must  turn  the  thumb  of 
your  right  hand  towards  the  bottom,  and  with  the  palm 
open,  but  somewhat  bent,  drive  off  the  water  forward  from 
that  side,  and  at  the  same  time,  with  the  left  hand  open, 
and  fingers  close,  drive  the  water  on  that  side  backwards, 


TURNING.  91 

and  at  once  turn  your  body  and  face  to  the  left.  If  you 
would  turn  to  the  right,  you  must  do  just  the  same  thing 
contrariwise. 

THE  TURN  CALLED  RINGING  THE  BELLS. 

If  you  swim  on  your  face,  you  must  at  once  draw  in  your 
feet,  and  strike  them  forwards,  as  you  did  before  backwards, 
at  the  same  time  striking  out  your  hands  backwards,  and 
putting  your  body  in  an  upright  posture. 

If  you  swim  on  your  back,  you  must  at  once  draw  in  your 
legs  towards  your  back,  and  striking  them  down  towards 
the  bottom,  cast  your  body  forward  till  you  are  turned  on 
the  face:  but  you  must  take  heed  that  you  have  water 
sufficient,  and  that  there  are  no  weeds  at  the  bottom,  which 
have  sometimes  proved  fatal  to  the  best  swimmers. 

ANOTHER  WAY  OF  TURNING. 
If  you  swim  on  your  face,  and  would  turn  to  the  left, 
you  must  extend  your  right  hand  and  arm  as  far  out  before 
you  as  you  can,  and  turn  your  face,  breast,  and  whole  body 
to  the  left,  lifting  up  your  right  hand  towards  the  top  of  the 
water,  and  you  will  find  yourself  on  your  back ;  and  from 
your  back  you  may  turn  again  on  your  face,  and  so  on  as 
often  as  you  please.  That  these  changes  of  posture  may 
be  performed  with  speed  and  agility,  you  must  take  care  to 
keep  your  legs  close  together,  and  your  arms  stretched  out 
before  your  breast,  but  not  separated  from  one  another. 


92  SWIMMING. 

TO  SWIM  BACKWARDS. 

When  lying  on  the  back  you  push  yourself  onward  with 
your  feet  and  legs ;  but  to  do  the  contrary,  and  advance  for- 
ward, you  must,  lying  always  on  the  back,  keep  the  body 
extended  at  full  length  in  a  straight  line,  the  breast  inflated, 
BO  that  that  part  of  the  back  which  is  between  the  shoulders 
must  be  concave  (or  hollow,)  and  sunk  down  in  the  water, 
the  hands  on  the  stomach.  Being,  I  say,  in  this  posture, 
you  must  lift  up  your  legs  one  after  another,  and  draw 
them  back  with  all  the  force  you  can  towards  your  back, 
letting  them  fall  into  the  water,  for  thus  you  will  return  to 
the  place  whence  you  came. 

TO  TURN  ONE'S  SELF  LYING  ALONG. 

It  seems  at  first  sight,  that  to  turn  one's  self,  and  turn 
one's  self  lying  along,  were  the  same  thing;  but  to  turn 
lying  along,  you  must  keep  yourself  in  a  posture  extended 
and  lying  on  the  back,  the  top  of  your  arms  close  to  your 
sides,  turning  the  lowest  joint  of  your  right  hand  outwards ; 
the  legs  at  a  distance  from  one  another,  at  least  a  foot,  or 
thereabouts.  The  soles  of  your  feet  turned  towards  the 
bottom  of  the  water.  In  this  posture  you  may  turn  as  you 
please  towards  the  right  or  left  side.  This  may  be  service- 
able in  several  circumstances ;  for  it  often  happens,  that  a 
person  swimming  on  his  back,  may  be  forced  against  a 
bank,  or  among  weeds  j  wherefore  a  ready  way  of  turning 


TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE.  93 

IS  very  proper  to  avoid  ihose  sort  of  dangers.  But,  not- 
withstanding these  methods  of  escape,  it  is  not  safe  to  ven- 
ture among  dangers  of  this  kind,  especially  weeds;  for 
jome  time  or  other  one  may  be  caught.  There  is  another 
/ray  of  disengaging  one's  self  from  weeds,  which  I  will  show 
mder  the  following  head. 

TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE. 

To  perform  this,  the  body  lying  on  the  back,  if  you  would 
-sgin  to  turn  from  the  right  to  the  left,  you  must  first  sink 
^our  left  side  somewhat  more  towards  the  bottom  than  the 
other,  and  lift  out  of  the  water  your  legs  successively,  first 
the  left,  then  the  right,  and  at  each  of  these  motions  advance 
your  legs  onwards  about  a  foot  each,  towards  the  left  side, 
your  head  remaining  still  in  the  same  place ;  the  froth  on 
the  surface  of  the  water  will  note  the  parts  of  the  circle  you 
have  described.  In  the  practice  of  it  you  must  take  care 
not  to  elevate  yonr  feet  too  high  in  the  air,  for  that  would 
sink  down  the  head  in  the  water ;  nor  to  strike  the  water 
too  hard  with  the  feet,  as  it  causes  a  disagreeable  noise. 

TO  TURN,  BEING  IN  AN  UPRIGHT  POSTURE. 

Being  in  the  water  in  an  upright  posture,  you  may  turn 
and  view  everything  successively  round  about  you.  You 
may  see  that  I  am  indeed  upright,  but  to  make  you  under- 
stand those  motions  of'  my  feet  which  you  cannot  see ; — 


94  SWIMMING. 

suppose  I  wish  to  turn  to  the  right,  in  the  first  place  I 
<mbrace  the  water  with  the  sole  of  my  right  foot,  and  after- 
wards with  that  of  my  left ;  and  in  the  meanwhile  I  incline 
my  body  towards  the  left ;  I  also  draw,  as  much  as  I  can, 
the  water  towards  me  with  my  hands,  and  afterwards  drive 
it  oflF  again ;  I  draw  it  first  with  my  left  hand,  and  then 
with  my  right,  and  having  so  drawn  it  towards  me,  drive  it 
off  again. 

TO  ADVANCE,  SWIMMING  WITH  THE  HANDS  JOINED 
TOGETHER. 

This  is  one  of  the  first  and  most  simple  ways  of  swimming, 
and  is  also  very  graceful.  In  the  practice  of  it  you  hold 
your  hands  joined  together,  drawing  them  in  towards  the 
breast,  and  successively  striking  them  out  again.  The  two 
hands  remain  all  the  while  joined,  insomuch  that  the  thumbs 
and  fingers  being  turned  towards  the  surface  of  the  water, 
seem  to  be  out  of  it.  Besides  the  gracefulness  of  this  way 
of  swimming,  it  is  moreover  serviceable  for  traversing  or 
swimming  across  a  heap  of  weeds,  &c.,  for  the  hands  being 
thus  joined,  as  it  were,  in  a  point,  open  a  passage  for  you 
through  weeds  or  reeds,  if  they  chance  to  oppose  you, 
especially  if  you  take  care  not  to  strike  your  hands  out  too 
far. 

TO  SWIM  ON  YOUR  SIDE. 

Suppose  you  swim  on  your  back  or  face,  lower  or  sink 


TO    SWIM    LIKE    A    DOG.  96 

your  left  side,  and  at  the  same  time  elevate  your  right  one. 
In  swimming,  when  you  are  thus  laid,  move  your  left  hand 
as  often  as  you  see  convenient,  without  either  separating  it 
far  from  your  body,  or  sinking  it,  perpetually  striking  it 
out,  and  retracting  it,  as  in  a  right-line,  on  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

TO  SWIM  ON  THE  FACE,  HOLDING  BOTH  HANDS  STILL. 
This  is  easily  performed  in  the  following  manner.  You 
must  keep  your  breast  advancing  forward,  your  neck  upright 
on  the  water,  both  your  hands  fast  behind  your  head,  or  on 
your  back,  while  in  the  meantime  your  legs  and  thighs  push 
you  forward  by  the  same  motions  you  make  when  you  swim 
on  your  face. 

TO  CARRY  THE  LEFT  LEG  IN  THE  RIGHT  HAND. 

This  is  performed  when,  in  swimming  on  the  face,  you 
lift  up  your  leg,  and  moving  it  towards  the  back,  take  hold 
of  it  with  the  hand  of  the  opposite  side,  continuing  in  the 
meanwhile  to  swim  with  the  leg  and  other  hand  which  are 
at  liberty. 

TO  SWIM  LIKE  A  DOG. 

To  swim  like  a  dog,  you  must  lift  up  and  depress  one 

hand  successively  after  another,  and  do  the  same  also  with 

your  feet,  only  with  this  diflference,  that  with  your  hands 

you  must  draw  the  water  towards  you,  and  with  your  feet 


96  SWIMMING. 

drive  it  from  you ;  you  must  begin  with  the  right  hand  and 
right  foot,  and  afterwards  with  the  left  hand  and  foot,  and 
so  successively. 

TO  BEAT  THE  WATER. 
You  strike  the  water  with  your  right  and  left  legs ;  the 
manner  of  it  is  very  pleasant;  when  swimming  on  the 
back,  at  each  extension  of  the  legs,  lifting  them  up  out  of 
the  water  one  after  another,  you  strike  the  water  so  that  it 
rebounds  up  into  the  air.  Those  who  are  most  expert  at 
this,  bring  their  chins  towards  their  breast  at  each  exten- 
sion. There  are  some  who,  not  satisfied  with  going  so  far 
only,  to  perform  the  business  more  gracefully,  lift  up  their 
legs  much  higher  than  others,  strike  the  water  at  each 
extension,  sometimes  with  the  right  leg,  sometimes  with  the 
left,  at  the  same  time  turn  the  whole  body.  This  will  be 
found  most  agreeable.  To  perform  this,  you  must  keep  your 
body  extended  on  your  back,  expand  or  inflate  your  breast, 
and  keep  it  almost  out  of  the  water,  the  palms  of  both  your 
hands  extended  and  turned  towards  the  bottom,  for  it  is  the 
office  of  the  hands  to  keep  up  the  body  while  you  strike 
and  open  your  legs ;  but  if,  at  the  same  time,  you  wish  to 
beat  water,  and  turn  yourself,  in  that  case,  supposing  your 
right  leg  is  up  out  of  the  water,  you  must  strike  the  water 
with  that,  and  at  the  same  time  lift  up  the  left  leg,  and  by 
the  same  action  turn  your  whole  body. 


TO  snow  BOTH  FEET  OUT  OF  WATER.    97 

TO  KEEP  ONE  FOOT  AT  LIBERTY. 
These  easy  ways  of  swimming  seem  more  for  diversion 
than  advantage ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  there  is  not  one  of 
them  but  what  may  be  serviceable  in  some  of  those 
numerous  rencounters  which  happen  to  swimmers ;  as,  for 
example,  this  may  serve  to  disengage  one's  feet  from  weeds. 
He  turns  himself  sometimes  to  the  right,  sometimes  to  the 
left,  having  always  one  leg  up  out  of  the  water,  looking 
about  him,  bringing  in  his  chin  always  towards  his  breast. 
It  is  more  difficult  than  it  seems  to  be  at  first  sight ;  for  if 
the  breast  is  not  inflated,  the  palms  of  the  hands  extended, 
and  turned  downwards  towards  the  bottom,  and  if  the 
other  leg  is  not  employed  in  the  water,  your  head  immedi- 
ately sinks  down.  The  address  or  management  of  it  is 
difficult ;  but  the  recompense,  when  learned,  is  satisfactory 
and  very  useful. 

TO  SHOW  IJOTH  FEET  OUT  OF  THE  WATER. 
One  may  swim  holding  both  feet  out  of  the  water,  and 
this  is  very  easy ;  you  may  also  not  only  remain  so  in  one 
place,  but  also  make  advances  forward.  You  must  place 
yourself  on  your  back,  and  bend  the  small  of  it  contra/ 
riwise  to  what  is  practised  in  other  ways  of  swimming; 
your  hands  must  be  on  your  stomach,  the  palms  of  them 
open,  moving  them  to  and  fro,  like  oars,  which  must  sustain 
your  body  while  your  feet  are  down.  This  way  of  swimming 
7 


98  SWIMMING. 

will  serve  to  show  you  whether  your  feet  are  clean  or  not, 
after  having  taken  them  from  the  bottom. 

SUSPENSION  BY  THE  CHIN. 

You  cannot  easily  imagine  how  this  manner  of  swim- 
ming is  performed.  To  make  you  comprehend  it  you  are  to 
remember,  that  when  you  swim  on  your  back  you  lie  still, 
your  legs  being  extended  j  when  you  find  yourself  in  that 
posture,  you  must  let  your  legs  go  down  or  sink ;  and  when 
they  come  to  be  perpendicular  to  the  bottom,  you  must 
take  them  up  again,  bending  your  knees,  and  inflating 
your  breast :  and  as  to  the  arms  and  hands,  whereof  the 
back  parts  lie  flat  on  the  water  by  the  shoulders,  you  must 
sometimes  extend  them  on  one  side,  sometimes  on  the 
other,  sometimes  shut  them,  turning  the  palms  towards  the 
bottom,  the  fingers  close  to  one  another,  holding  your  chin 
as  upright  as  possible.  This  way,  which  seems  so  surpris- 
ing, is  sometimes  very  useful':  suppose,  at  any  time,  the  ice 
should  happen  to  break  under  your  feet,  this  way  will  be 
of  vast  advantage  to  secure  yourself  from  the  danger. 

TO  TREAD  WATER. 

By  this  way  you  remain  upright  in  the  water  without 

making  any  motion  with  your  hands,  only  you  move  the 

water  round  with  your  legs  from  you,  the  soles  of  your  feet 

being  perpendicular  to  the  bottom.    This  way  of  swimming 


f 


TO    CREEP.  90 

is  yery  advantageous,  for  it  gives  us  the  free  use  of  the 
hands. 

CHANGING  HAND  AND  FOOT. 

With  the  right  hand  you  hold  the  left  foot,  and  contrari- 
wise ;  but  you  must  change  these  holds  by  a  speedy  letting 
or  striking  down  of  the  foot  held  up.  This  may  be  useful 
for  taking  oflF  weeds  from  the  legs. 

TO  CREEP. 

The  action  of  swimming  in  man  is  yery  like  the  motion 
of  creeping  in  reptiles ;  as,  suppose  a  snake,  for  example, 
which,  resting  or  stopping  first,  with  his  fore  parts,  draws 
the  rest  of  the  body  forwards ;  and  it  is  a  way  very  service- 
able to  get  clear  of  weeds.  To  practise  it,  being  on  the 
face,  you  cast  your  hands  forward,  and  your  feet  softly  back- 
ward, but  close  together,  and  thus  you  advance,  extending 
your  arms  and  hands  as  far  from  your  breast  as  possible, 
your  fingers  close,  and  the  palms  of  your  hands  a  little  bent, 
turned  towards  the  bottom ;  for  being  in  this  posture,  if 
you  draw  towards  your  breast  with  your  hands  and  arms 
the  water  that  is  before  you,  by  that  you  give  time  to  the 
rest  of  your  body  to  advance  farther,  and  to  disengage  your- 
self from  the  weeds,  if  you  are  entangled  in  them,  which 
most  not  be  done  with  too  much  haste  or  force. 


100  SWIMMING. 

TO  SIT  IN  THE  WATER. 

You  must  take  both  your  legs  in  your  hands,  draw  in 
your  breath,  and  so  keep  your  breast  inflated ;  your  head 
upright,  and  lifting  up  successively  your  arms  and  legs,  by 
that  motion  sustain  yourself. 

TO  SWIM  HOLDING  UP  YOUR  HANDS. 

While  you  swim  on  your  back,  it  is  easy  to  put  your 
hands  to  what  use  you  please ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  hold 
them  upright,  and  swim  at  the  same  time  too.  It  would 
appear  at  first  sight  as  if  this  were  the  most  easy  method 
we  have  yet  taught.  You  must  take  care  lest,  while  you 
lift  up  your  arms,  the  thorax  or  breast  be  not  contracted, 
for  if  so  you  sink.  The  whole  art  in  this  way  of  swimming, 
consists  in  heaving  up  the  breast  as  high,  and  keeping  it 
inflated  as  much  as  possible,  while  your  arms  are  held. 

THE  LEAP  OF  THE  GOAT. 

It  is  called  so  by  reason  you  imitate  the  leaping  of  goats 
in  the  motion  of  the  feet.  To  perform  it  you  must  have 
both  courage  and  strength.  Y'ou  must  keep  your  breast 
inflated,  and  strike  with  both  your  hands  the  water  on  each 
side,  by  thick  short  strokes,  three  or  four  times,  but  more 
forcibly  the  last  time  than  the  others  :  while  you  are  'doing 
thus,  you  must  lift  your  feet  up  quite  out  of  the  water,  and 
rub  them  one  against  the  other,  as  you  see  commonly  dono 


THE    PERPENDICULAR   DESCENT.  101 

in  the  cutting  of  capers.  This  is  one  of  the  most  difficult, 
the  most  ingenious  pieces  of  art  belonging  to  swimming, 
and  when  you  have  arrived  at  it,  you  may  say  you  have 
mastered  one  of  the  most  difficult  points  in  the  whole  art ; 
for  it  is  as  difficult  as  to  swim  under  water,  to  which  there 
is  required  a  great  deal  of  artificial  management;  which  now 
I  come  to  show.     The  first  step  is  to  learn  to  dive. 

TO  DIVE. 

If  men  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  water,  it  is  their  own 
fault  J  there  is  not  only  occasion  for  force,  but  also  art  to 
do  it  safely.  The  first  way  of  doing  it  is  to  begin  with 
your  feet  touching  the  bottom ;  then  afterwards  rise  up, 
your  head  bowed  down,  so  that  your  chin  must  touch  your 
breast;  the  crown  of  your  head  being  turned  towards  the 
bottom,  holding  the  back  of  your  hands  close  together,  right 
before  your  head,  and  sinking  or  striking  them  down  first 
with  all  the  swiftness  and  exactness  you  can  :  thus  you  may 
dive  to  the  bottom. 

THE  PERPENDICULAR  DESCENT. 
This  is  for  those  who  leap  from  any  height  into  the  water, 
and  is  performed  by  taking  a  leap  a  little  forward,  and 
sometimes  upward,  that  your  head  may  be  perpendicularly 
downward.  When  you  have  very  deep  water,  it  cannot  be 
performed  after  any  more  ready  method,  because  of  the 


102  SWIMMING. 

diflficulty  of  long  holding  one's  breath.  However,  it  ic 
seldom  put  in  practice  by  reason  of  the  dangers  which  at- 
tend  it. 

TO  SWIM  UNDER  WATER. 

You  first  of  all  dive  down ;  the  two  hands  must  be  turned 
back  to  back,  and  close  to  one  another ;  after  which  you 
must  extend  them  with  all  the  swiftness  you  can,  your 
thumbs  turned  upwards,  and  your  fore-fingers  towards  the 
bottom ;  you  may  have  occasion  to  swim  thus,  when  you 
are  to  seek  for  anything  at  the  bottom  of  the  water ;  also 
to  help  one  in  danger  of  being  drowned.  But  in  this  last 
case,  you  must  take  heed  not  to  come  too  near  to  any  one 
in  that  danger ;  for  if  such  a  one  takes  hold  of  you,  you 
are  certainly  lost. 

To  proceed,  in  that  case,  safely,  you  must  keep  ten  or 
twelve  feet  off :  your  best  way  will  be  not  to  lay  hold  of 
him  till  he  is  quite  sunk  down,  and  has  lost  the  use  of  his 
sight ;  and  if  you  have  observed  the  place  where  he  is,  you 
may  endeavour  to  take  hold  of  him  by  the  hair,  and  so 
draw  him 'on  your  back,  always  taking  care  that  he  does 
not  lay  hold  of  you,  or  otherwise  hamper  you ;  you  may 
thus  draw  him  to  some  shallow  place 


TO     MAKE    A    CIRCLE     UNDEK,    WATER,        103 

TO  COME  TO  THE  TOP  OP  THE  WATER,  AFTER  DIVING. 

After  you  are  at  the  bottom,  you  may  return  with  the 
same  facility ;  which  is  performed  much  after  the  same  way 
as  we  have  taught  before,  to  turn  one's  self  in  the  water ; 
the  person  who  swims  with  one  of  his  hands  extended 
must  push  from  him,  with  his  palm,  the  water  which  is 
before  him,  and  with  the  cavity  of  the  other  palm  drawing 
towards  him  the  water  which  is  behind  him ;  when  your 
hand  is  extended  as  far  as  it  can  be,  the  fingers  of  the  hand 
so  extended,  and  the  palm  of  that  turned  outwards,  ought 
to  shut  or  clench ;  the  perfection  of  this  way  you  will  see  as 
follows : — 

IN  SWIMMING  UNDER  WATER,  TO  MAKE  A  CIRCLE. 

"When  swimmers  go  to  search  for  anything  in  the  water, 
they  swim  round  about  the  place  where  the  thing  was  cast 
in,  if  they  do  not  find  it  immediately ;  by  this  sort  of  address 
they  can  take  up  the  least  thing  that  is  at  the  bottom.  Tho 
manner  of  making  this  compass  or  circle  is  thus :  if  you 
would  begin  the  circle  from  the  right  hand,  and  end  it  at 
the  left,  you  must  grasp  or  embrace  tho  water  with  both 
your  hands  from  the  right  to  the  left,  and  exactly  contrary 
if  you  would  turn  the  other  way ;  but  when  you  have  dived 
perpendicularly  down,  and  cannot  see  what  you  want  to  find, 
you  will  be  obliged  to  take  such  a  compass,  but  do  not  go 
so  far  ar  to  lose  the  light ;  for  when  that  once  begins  to 


104  SWIMMING. 

fail  you,  it  is  a  sign  you  are  either  too  deep,  or  under 
boat,  or  shore,  or  something  else  that  intercepts  the  light 
You  must  always  take  heed  of  venturing  into  such  places , 
and  if  you  should  find  yourself  so  engaged,  call  to  mind 
whereabouts,  or  which  way  you  came  thither,  and  turn  bacL 
the  same  way,  looking  upwards  for  the  light;  for  you  maj 
Bee  it  a  great  way  off;  above  all  take  heed  you  do  not  breathe 
under  the  water.  In  case  you  are  afraid  that  an  enemy 
should  lay  wait  for  you  when  you  come  up  again,  you  musl 
have  recourse  'o  the  agility  of  the  dolphin. 


SKATING. 


Ip  we  may  judge  of  the  popularity  of  the  different  sports 
and  amusements  by  the  amount  of  danger  which  we  see 
incurred  in  their  pursuit,  we  should  say  that  none  stands  so 
high  in  public  favour  as  Skating.  Like  most  of  our  other 
amusements,  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  much  about  its  origin, 
but  we  have  no  doubt  that  it  was  at  first  practised  more 
from  necessity  than  as  a  recreation.  Many  feats  and 
graceful  evolutions  may  be  performed  on  the  ice  by  those 
who  have  had  much  practice  in  Skating. 

Skating  is  the  art  of  balancing  the  body,  while,  by  the 
impulse  of  each  foot  alternately,  it  moves  rapidly  upon 
the  ice. 

CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  SKATE. 

The  wood  of  the  skate  should  be  slightly  hollowed,  so  as 
to  adapt  it  to  the  ball  of  the  foot;  and  as  the  heel  of  the 
boot  must  be  thick  enough  to  admit  the  peg,  it  may  be  well 
to  lower  the  wood  of  the  skate  corresponding  to  the  heel, 
80  as  to  permit  the  foot  to  regain  that  degree  oi  horizontal 

(105) 


106  SKATING. 

position  which  it  would  otherwise  lose  by  the  height  of  the 
heel :  for  the  more  of  the  foot  that  is  in  contact  with  the 
skate,  the  more  firmly  will  these  be  attached. 

As  the  tread  of  the  skate  should  correspond  as  nearly  as 
possible  with  that  of  the  foot,  the  wood  of  the  skate  should 
be  of  the  same  length  as  the  boot  or  shoe. 

The  irons  should  be  of  good  steel,  well  secured  in  the 
wood ',  and  should  pass  beyond  the  screw  at  the  heel  nearly 
as  far  as  the  wood  itself;  but  the  bows  of  the  iron  should 
not  project  much  beyond  the  wood. 

If  the  skate  project  much  beyond  the  wood,  the  whole 
foot,  and  more  especially  its  hind  part,  must  be  raised  con- 
siderably from  the  ice  when  the  front  or  bow  of  the  skate  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  it ;  and,  as  the  skater  depends  upon 
this  part  for  the  power  of  his  stroke,  it  is  evident  that  that 
must  be  greatly  diminished  by  the  general  distance  of  the 
foot  from  the  ice. 

In  short,  if  the  skate  be  too  long,  the  stroke  will  be 
feeble,  and  the  back  of  the  leg  painfully  cramped ;  if  it  be 
too  short,  the  footing  will  be  proportionably  unsteady  and 
tottering. 

As  the  position  of  the  person  in  the  act  of  skating  is  never 
vertical,  and  is  sometimes  very  much  inclined,  and  as  con- 
siderable exertion  of  the  muscles  of  the  leg  is  requisite  to 
keep  the  ankle  stiflf,  this  ought  to  be  relieved  by  the  lownesa 
of  the  skates. 


DRESS    OP    THE    SKATER.  .    107 

Seeing,  then,  that  the  closer  the  foot  is  to  the  ice  the  less 
is  the  strain  on  the  ankle,  it  is  clear  that  the  foot  ought  to 
be  brought  as  near  to  the  ice  as  possible,  without  danger  of 
bringing  the  sole  of  the  shoe  in  contact  with  it,  while  travers- 
ing on  the  edge  of  the  skate.  The  best  height  is  aboufc 
three  quarters  of  an  inch. 

The  iron  should  be  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thiek. 

The  more  simple  the  fastenings  of  the  skate  are,  the  bet- 
ter. The  two  straps,  namely,  the  cross  strap  over  the  toe, 
and  the  heel  strap,  cannot  be  improved,  unless,  perhaps,  by 
passing  one  strap  through  the  three  bores,  and  so  making  it 
serve  for  both. 

Before  going  on  the  ice,  the  young  skater  must  learn  to 
tie  on  the  skates,  and  may  also  learn  to  walk  with  them 
easily  in  a  room,  balancing  alternately  on  each  foot. 

DRESS  OF  THE  SKATER. 

A  skater's  dress  should  be  as  close  and  unencumbered  as 
possible.  Large  skirts  get  entangled  with  his  own  limbs, 
or  those  of  the  persons  who  pass  near  him  :  and  all  fulness 
of  dress  is  exposed  to  the  wind. 

Loose  trousers,  frocks,  and  more  especially  great  coats, 
must  be  avoided ;  and,  indeed,  by  wearing  additional  under- 
clothing, they  can  always  be  dispensed  with. 

As  the  exercise  of  skating  produces  perspiration,  flannel 


108  SKATING. 

next  the  chest,  shoulders,  and  loins,  is  necessary  to  avoid 
the  evils  produced  by  sudden  chills  in  cold  weather. 

The  best  dress  for  this  exercise  is  what  is  called  a  dress- 
coat  buttoned,  tight  pantaloons,  and  laced  boots  (having  the 
heel  no  higher  than  is  necessary  for  the  peg),  which  hold 
the  foot  tightly  and  steadily  in  its  place,  as  well  as  give  the 
best  support  to  the  ankle ;  for  it  is  of  no  use  to  draw  the 
straps  of  the  skate  tight  if  the  boot  or  shoe  be  loose. 

PRELIMINARY    AND   GENERAL   DIRECTIONS. 

Either  very  rough  or  very  smooth  ice  should  be  avoided 

The  person  who  for  the  first  time  ventures  on  the  ictf 
must  not  trust  to  a  stick.  He  may  make  a  friend's  hand  his 
support  if  he  requires  one ;  but  that  should  be  soon  relin- 
quished, in  order  to  balance  himself.  He  will  probably 
scramble  about  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  till  he  begins  to  find 
out  where  the  edge  of  his  skate  is. 

The  following  directions  will  be  useful : 

The  beginner  must  be  fearless,  but  not  violent :  not  even 
in  a  hurry.  He  must  not  let  his  feet  get  far  apart,  and 
must  keep  his  heels  still  nearer  •  together.  He  must  keep 
the  ankle  of  the  foot  on  the  ice  quite  firm  ;  not  attempting 
to  gain  the  edge  of  the  skate  by  bending  it,  because  the 
right  mode  of  getting  to  either  edge  is  by  the  inclination  of 
the  whole  body  in  the  direction  required ;  and  this  inclina- 
tion should  be  made  fearlessly  and  decisively.     He  musl 


GENERAL    DIRECTIONS.-  109 

keep  the  leg  which  is  on  the  ice  perfectly  straight;  for 
though  the  knee  must  be  somewhat  bent  at  the  time  of 
striking,  it  must  be  straightened  as  quickly  as  possible  mth- 
out  any  jerk.  The  leg  which  is  off  the  ice  should  also  be 
kept  straight,  though  not  stiff,  having  an  easy  though 
slight  play,  the  toe  pointing  downwards,  and  the  heel  being 
kept  within  from  six  to  twelve  inches  of  the  other.  He 
must  not  look  down  at  the  ice,  nor  at  the  feet,  to  see  how 
they  perform.  He  may  at  first  incline  his  body  a  little 
forward,  for  safety,  but  must  hold  his  head  up,  and  see 
where  he  goes.  He  must  keep  his  person  erect,  and  his 
face  rather  elevated  than  otherwise,  but  not  affectedly. 
When  once  off,  he  must  bring  both  feet  up  together,  and 
strike  again,  as  soon  as  he  finds  himself  steady  enough. 
While  skating,  he  must  rarely  allow  both  feet  to  be  on  the 
ice  together.  The  position  of  the  arms  should  be  easy  and 
varied ;  one  being  always  more  raised  than  the  other,  this 
elevation  being  alternate,  and  the  change  corresponding 
with  that  of  the  legs:  that  is,  the  right  arm  being  raised  as 
the  right  leg  is  put  down,  and  vice  versd,  so  that  the  arm 
and  leg  of  the  same  side  may  not  be  raised  together.  The 
face  must  be  always  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  line 
intended  to  be  described.  Hence,  in  backward  skating, 
the  head  will  be  inclined  much  over  the  shoulder ;  in  for- 
ward skating,  but  slightly.  All  sudden  and  violent  action 
must  be  avoided.     Stopping   may  be   caused   by  slightly 


110  SKATINvl. 

bending  tb  »  knees,  drawing  the  feet  together,  inclining  tLi 
body  forward,  and  pressing  on  the  heels.  It  may  also  be 
caused  by  turning  short  to  the  right  or  left,  the  foot  on  the 
side  to  which  we  turn  being  rather  more  advanced,  and 
supporting  part  of  the  weight. 

THE  ORDINARY  RUN,  OR  INSIDE  EDGE  FORWARD. 

The  first  attempt  of  the  beginner  is  to  walk,  and  this 
walk  shortly  becomes  a  sliding  gait.  This  is  done  entirely 
on  the  inside  edge  of  the  skate.  The  first  impulse  is  to  be 
gained  by  pressing  the  inside  edge  of  one  skate  against  the 
ice,  and  advancing  with  the  opposite  foot.  To  efibct  this 
the  beginner  must  bring  the  feet  nearly  together,  turn  the 
left  somewhat  out,  and  place  the  right  a  little  in  advance, 
and  at  right  angles  with  it :  lean  forward  with  the  right 
shoulder,  and  at  the  same  time  move  the  right  foot  onwards, 
and  press  sharply,  or  strike  the  ice,  with  the  inside  edge  of 
the  left  skate,  care  being  taken  instantly  to  throw  his  weight 
on  the  right  foot. 

While  thus  in  motion  the  skater  must  bring  up  the  left 
foot  nearly  to  a  level  with  the  othfer,  and  may  for  the  present 
proceed  a  short  way  on  both  feet.  He  must  next  place  the 
left  foot  in  advance  in  its  turn,  bring  the  left  shoulder  for- 
ward, inclining  to  that  side,  strike  from  the  inside  edge  of 
the  right  skate,  and  proceed  as  before.  Finally,  this  motion 
has  only  to  be  repeated  on  each  foot  alternately,  gradually 


THE  rORWABD  ROLL,   OR  OUTSIDE  EDGE.   Ill 

keeping  the  foot  from  whicli  lie  struck  longer  off  the 
ice,  till  he  has  gained  sufl&cient  command  of  himself  to  keep 
it  off  altogether,  and  is  able  to  strike  directly  from  one  to 
the  other,  without  at  any  time  having  them  both  on  the  ice 
together. 

Having  practised  this  till  he  has  gained  some  degree  of 
firmness  and  power,  and  a  command  of  his  balance,  he  may 
proceed  to 

THE  FORWARD  ROLL,  OR  OUTSIDE  EDGE. 
This  is  commonly  reckoned  the  first  step  to  figure  skating, 
as,  when  it  is  once  effected,  the  rest  follows  with  ease.  The 
impulse  for  the  forward  roll  is  gained  in  the  same  manner 
as  for  the  ordinary  run ;  but,  to  get  on  the  outside  edge  of 
the  right  foot,  the  moment  that  foot  is  in  motion,  the  skater 
must  advance  the  left  shoulder,  throw  the  right  arm  back, 
look  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  incline  the  whole  person 
boldly  and  decisively  to  that  side,  keeping  the  left  foot  sus- 
pended behind,  with  its  toe  closely  pointed  to  the  heel  of 
the  right.  As  he  proceeds  he  must  bring  the  left  foot  past 
the  inside  of  the  right,  with  a  slight  jerk,  which  produces 
an  opposing  balance  of  the  body ;  the  right  foot  must  quickly 
press,  first  on  the  outside  of  the  heel,  then  on  the  inside  of 
its  toe ;  the  left  foot  must  be  placed  down  before  it,  before 
it  is  removed  more  than  about  eight  or  ten  inches  from  the 
other  foot ;  and,  by  striking  outside  to  the  left,  and  giving 


112  SKATING. 

at  tne  same  moment  a  strong  push  with  the  inside  of  Uie 
right  toe,  the  skater  passes  from  right  to  left,  inclining  to 
the  left  side,  in  the  same  manner  as  he  did  to  the  right. 
The  skater  then  continues  to  change  from  left  to  right, 
and  from  right  to  left  in  the  same  manner.  He  must  not 
at  first  remain  long  upon  one  leg,  nor  scruple  occasionally 
to  put  the  other  down  to  assist.  And  throughout  he  must 
keep  himself  erect,  leaning  most  on  the  heel. 

The  Dutch  travelling  roll  is  done  on  the  outside  edge  for- 
ward, diverging  from  the  straight  line  no  more  than  is 
requisite  to  keep  the  skate  on  its  edge. 

The  cross  roll  or  figure  8  is  also  done  on  the  outside  edge 
forward.  This  is  only  the  completion  of  the  circle  on  the 
outside  edge ;  and  it  is  performed  by  crossing  the  legs,  and 
striking  from  the  outside  instead  of  thB  inside  edge.  In 
order  to  do  this,  as  the  skater  draws  to  the  close  of  the 
stroke  on  his  right  leg,  he  must  throw  the  left  quite  across 
it,  which  will  cause  him  to  press  hard  on  the  Qutside  of  the 
right  skate,  from  which  he  must  immediately  strike,  at  the 
same  time  throwing  back  the  left  arm,  and  looking  over  the 
left  shoulder,  to  bring  him  well'  upon  the  outside  of  that 
skate.  By  completing  the  circle  in  this  manner  on  each 
leg  the  8  is  formed,  each  circle  being  small,  complete,  and 
well-formed  before  the  foot  is  changed. 

The  Mercury  Figure  is  merely  the  outside  and  inside 
forward  succeeding  each  other  on  the  same  leg  alternately, 


FIGURE    OP    THREE.  113 

by  which  a  serpentine  line  is  described.  This  is  skated 
with  the  force  and  rapidity  gained  by  a  run.  When  the 
run  is  complete,  and  the  skater  on  the  outside  edge,  his 
person  becomes  quiescent,  in  the  attitude  of  Mercury,  hav- 
ing the  right  arm  advanced  and  much  raised,  the  face  turned 
over  the  right  shoulder,  and  the  left  foot  off  the  ice,  a  short 
distance  behind  the  other,  turned  out  and  pointed. 

FIGURE  OF  THREE,  OR  INSIDE  EDGE  BACKWARD. 
This  figure  is  formed  by  turning  from  the  outside  edge 
forward  to  the  inside  edge  backward  on  the  same  foot.  The 
head  of  the  3  is  formed  like  the  half  circle,  on  the  heel  of 
the  outside  edge;  but  when  the  half  circle  is  complete,  the 
skater  leans  suddenly  forward,  and  rests  on  the  same  toe 
inside,  and  a  backward  motion,  making  the  tail  of  the  3,  is 
the  consequence.  At  first  the  skater  should  not  throw  him- 
self quite  so  hard  as  hitherto  on  the  outside  forward,  in 
order  that  he  may  be  able  the  more  easily  to  change  to  the 
inside  back.  He  may  also  be  for  some  time  contented 
with  much  less  than  a  semicircle  before  he  turns.  Having 
done  this,  and  brought  the  left  leg  nearly  up  to  the  other, 
the  skater  must  not  pass  it  on  in  advance,  as  he  would  to 
complete  a  circle,  but  must  throw  it  gently  off  sideways,  at 
the  same  moment  turning  the  face  from  the  right  to  the 
left  shoulder,  and  giving  the  whole  person  a  slight  inclina- 
tion to  the  left  side.  These  actions  throw  the  skater  upon 
8 


114  SKATING. 

the  inside  of  his  skate ;  but  as  the  first  impulse  should  still 
retain  most  of  its  force,  he  continues  to  move  on  the  inside 
back,  in  a  direction  so  little  different,  that  his  first  impulse 
loses  little  by  the  change.  If  unable  to  change  the  edge 
by  this  method,  the  skater  may  assist  himself  by  slightly 
and  gently  swinging  the  arm  and  leg  outward,  so  as  to 
incline  the  person  to  a  rotary  motion.  This  swing,  how- 
ever, must  be  corrected  as  soon  as  the  object  is  attained; 
and  it  must  generally  be  observed,  that  the  change  from 
edge  to  edge  is  to  be  effected  merely  by  the  inclination  of 
the  body,  not  by  swinging.  When  the  skater  is  able  to  join 
the  ends  of  the  3,  so  as  to  form  one  side  of  a  circle,  then  by 
striking  off  in  the  same  manner,  and  completing  another  3, 
with  the  left  leg,  the  combination  of  the  two  3's  will  form 
an  8.  In  the  first  attempts  the  3  should  not  be  made  above 
two  feet  long,  which  the  skater  will  acquire  the  power  of 
doing  almost  imperceptibly.  He  may  then  gradually 
extend  the  size  as  he  advances  in  the  art.  Though  back- 
ward skating  is  spoken  of,  the  term  refers  to  the  skate  only, 
which  in  such  cases  moves  heel  foremost,  but  the  person  of 
the  skater  moves  sideways,  the  face  being  always  turned  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  is  proceeding. 

OUTSIDE  EDGE  BACKWARDS. 

Here  the  skater,  having  completed  the  3,  and  being  car- 
ried on  by  the  first  impulse,  still  continues  his  progress  in 


OUTSIDE     EDOE     BACKWARDS.  115 

tlie  same  direction,  but  on  the  other  foot,  putting  it  down 
on  its  outside  edge,  and  continuing  to  go  backwards  slowly. 
To  accomplish  this,  the  skater,  after  making  the  3,  and 
placing  the  outside  edge  of  his  left  foot  on  the  ice,  should 
at  once  turn  his  face  over  the  right  shoulder,  raise  his  right 
foot  from  the  ice,  and  throw  back  his  right  arm  and 
shoulder.  If,  for  a  while,  the  skater  is  unable  readily  to 
raise  that  foot  which  has  made  the  3,  and  leave  himself  on 
the  outside  of  the  other  skate,  he  may  keep  both  down  for 
some  distance,  putting  himself,  however,  in  attitude  of  being 
on  the  outside  only  of  one  skate,  and  gradually  lifting  the 
other  off  the  ice,  as  he  acquires  ability.  *  When  finishing 
any  figure,  this  use  of  both  feet  back  has  great  convenience 
and  beauty.  Before  venturing  on  the  outside  backward, 
the  skater  ought  to  take  care  that  the  ice  is  clear  of  stones, 
reeds,  &c.,  and  must  also  be  certain  of  the  good  quality  of 
his  irons.  When  going  with  great  force  backward,  the 
course  may  be  deflected  so  as  to  stop  by  degrees ;  and,  when 
moving  slowly,  the  suspended  foot  may  be  put  down  in  a 
cross  direction  to  the  path. 

Such,  then,  are  the  four  movements  of  which  alone  the 
skate  is  capable :  namely,  the  inside  edge  forward ;  the 
outside  forward;  the  inside  back;  and  the  outside  back; 
in  which  has  been  seen  how  the  impulse  for  the  first  two  is 
gained,  and  how  the  third  flows  from  the  second,  and  the 
fourth  from  the  third.    By  the  combination  of  these  ele« 


116  SKATING. 

ments  of  skating,  and  the  yariations  with  which  they  su<v 
ceed  each  other,  are  formed  all  the  evolutions  in  this  art. 

The  Double  Three  is  that  combination  in  which  the  skates 
are  brought  from  the  inside  back  of  the  first  three  to  the 
outside  forward  of  the  second.  Here  the  skater,  after  having 
completed  one  3,  and  being  on  the  inside  back,  must  bring 
the  whole  of  the  left  side  forward,  particularly  the  leg,  till 
it  is  thrown  almest  across  the  right,  on  which  he  is  skating. 
This  action  brings  him  once  more  to  the  outside  forward, 
from  which  he  again  turns  to  the  inside  back.  While  he 
is  still  in  motion  on  the  second  inside  back  of  the  right  leg, 
he  must  strike  on  the  left,  and  repeat  the  same  on  that. 
It  is  at  first  enough  to  do  two  3's  perfectly  and  smoothly. 
Their  number  from  one  impulse  may  be  increased  as  the 
skatQF  gains  steadiness  and  skill ;  the  art  of  accomplishing 
this  being  to  touch  as  lightly  as  possible  on  each  side  of 
the  skate  successively,  so  that  the  first  impulse  may  be  pre- 
served and  made  the  most  of. 

The  Back  Boll  is  a  means  of  moving  from  one  foot  to 
another.  Suppose  the  skater 'to  have  put  himself  on  the 
outside  edge  back  of  the  left  leg,  with  considerable  impulse, 
by  means  of  the  3  performed  on  the  right — not  bearing 
hard  on  the  edge,  for  the  object  is  to  change  it,  and  take  up 
the  motion  on  the  right  foot — this  is  effected  by  throwing 
the  left  arm  and  shoulder  back,  and  turning  the  face  to  look 
over  them  ;  when,  having  brought  the  inside  of  his  left 


OUTSIDE    EDGE    RACKWARDS.  117 

skate  to  bear  on  the  ice,  he  must  immediately  strike  from 
it  to  the  outside  back  of  the  other,  by  pressing  it  into  the 
ice  as  forcibly  as  he  can  at  the  toe.  Having  thus  been 
brought  to  the  backward  roll  on  the  right  foot,  he  repeats 
the  same  with  it. 

The  Back  Cross  Roll  is  done  by  changing  the  balance  of 
the  body,  to  move  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  in  the  same 
manner  as  for  the  back  roll.  Here  the  stroke  is  from  the 
outside  instead  of  the  inside  edge  of  the  skate;  the  edge 
on  which  he  is  skating  not  being  changed,  but  the  right 
foot,  which  is  oflf  the  ice,  being  crossed  at  the  back  of  the 
left,  and  put  down,  and  the  stroke  taken  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, from  the  outside  edge  of  the  left  skate  at  the  toe. 
As,  in  the  back  roll  of  both  forms,  the  strokes  are  but  feeble, 
the  skater  may,  from  time  to  time,  renew  his  impulse  as  he 
finds  occasion,  by  commencing  anew  with  the  3.  The  large 
outside  backward  roll  is  attained  by  a  run,  when  the  skater, 
having  gained  all  the  impulse  he  can,  strikes  on  the  out- 
side forward  of  the  right  leg,  turns  the  3,  and  immediately 
puts  down  the  left  on  the  outside  back.  He  then,  without 
further  effort,  flies  rapidly  over  the  ice ;  the  left  arm  being 
raised,  the  head  turned  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  the 
right  foot  turned  out  and  pointed. 


BOWING, 


Independently  of  being  one  of  the  finest  recreationi 
both  of  youth  and  manhood,  this  delightful  occupation  may 
be  said  to  be  eminently  conducive  to  health.  The  very 
fact  that,  by  the  exertion  necessary  for  the  action  of  rowing, 
the  muscles  of  the  body  are  more  regularly  and  equally 
than  usual,  brought  into  play,  should  be  a  strong  inducement 
to  boys  to  practise  this  vigorous  pastime,  as  early  and  as 
much  as  possible.  And  it  should  always  be  remembered, 
that  it  need  never  exceed  the  bounds  of  moderation ;  other- 
wise, that  which  should  be  only  an  enjoyment,  too  frequently 
is  considered  a  task;  and  it  sometimes  occurs,  that  the 
trifling  and  temporary  bodily  fatigue  experienced  after  a 
little  more  than  ordinary  exertion,  is  magnified  ten-fold, 
and  boys  no  longer  derive  from  rowing,  that  gratification 
necessary  to  its  complete  enjoyment. 

The  benefits  that  result  from  it  are  considerable ;  indeed, 
the  very  position  the  body  occupies,  while  in  the  act  of 
rowing,  is  an  evidrnce  of  its  advantages  to  the  general 

(118) 


ROWING.  119 

system  as  a  salutary  exercise.  The  muscular  exertion  of 
the  arms,  leg,  and  back,  is  equal,  or  very  nearly  so ;  and 
the  regular  motion  of  the  former,  not  only  does  not  impede 
respiration,  but  rather  assists  it,  by  producing  a  correspond- 
ing regularity  of  breathing.  Besides  this,  the  chest  is  well 
expanded,  and  this  fact  alone  is  the  best  argument  we  can 
adduce  in  favour  of  rowing  as  a  healthy  amusement,  for  in 
and  near  that  region  of  the  body,  are  situated  all  those 
organs  which  impart  life  and  motion  to  the  human  frame } 
which  thus  obtains,  in  time,  increased  strength.  The 
muscles  become  more  powerful,  and  capable  of  enduring 
greater  fatigue,  and  the  whole  body  naturally  imbibes  a 
hardihood  and  vital  energy  that  gradually  increase  as  youth 
grows  up  to  manhood,  till  it,  at  last,  becomes  able  to  endure 
a  vast  amount  of  exertion  and  labour.  Contrast,  for  an 
instant,  the  appearance  of  a  boy,  to  whom  his  parents,  from 
mistaken  notions  of  rearing,  have  denied  all  open  air 
amusements — compare  his  sickly  features,  his  colourless 
eye,  the  pallor  of  his  thin  lip,  his  vapid  expression,  and  his 
frequently  attenuated  frame  and  disproportionate  limbs; 
with  one  who  has  been  taught  to  practise  those  healthy 
recreations,  which  it  has  been  the  purpose  of  this  book  to 
inculcate,  and  what  a  difference  do  we  not  behold.  In  the 
latter,  the  unmistakeable  signs  of  health :  that  most  glorious 
gift  the  Almighty  has  bestowed  on  man,  present  themselves. 


120  ROWING. 

A  warm,  rich  glow  mantles  oyer  his  cheeks,  his  eye  is 
bright  and  clear,  his  lip  full  and  red,  his  limbs  well  deve- 
loped and  admirably  proportioned.  All,  indeed,  breather 
of  a  sense  of  health  and  enjoyment.  And  it  may  be  aflirmed 
beyond  doubt,  that  the  existence  of  a  boy  thus  disciplined 
to  bodily  exercise,  must  as  nearly  approach  the  perfection 
of  happiness,  as  it  is  possible  to  enjoy  on  this  planet,  which 
is  all  the  "  world"  to  us  mortals. 

We  shall  divide  our  present  subject  into  several  heads; 
first  and  foremost  let  us  treat  of 

THE  BOAT. 

The  ancients  tell  us  that  a  straw,  or  some  say  the  branch 
of  a  tree,  floating  on  the  water,  suggested  itself  to  the 
mechanical  imagination  of  man,  who  thereupon,  and  long 
ere  the  use  of  iron  was  known,  fashioned  from  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  the  first  rude  boat.  The  primitive  attempt  was  at 
first  unsuccessful,  till  it  was  discovered  that  by  tapering  the 
ends  of  the  boat  (those  being  the  parts  on  which  the  wind 
blew  with  the  greatest  force),  and  thus  rendering  the  middle 
broader  than  the  extreme  ends,  •  the  boat  itself  was  kept 
afloat.  It  would  be  quite  out  of  place  to  explain  the  gradual 
improvements  in  the  art  of  boat-building;  it  must  be 
apparent  to  all  that  this  branch  of  mechanics  has  been 
brought  to  the  utmost  perfection,  uniting  at  once  a  degree 
of  elegance  with  safety  quite  unparalleled.    That  this  primi- 


STAK^ING.  121 

tiye  method  has  suggested  itself  naturally  to  dififerenfc  races 
of  mankind,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  North  American 
Indians  possessed  a  light  species  of  canoe  and  the  South 
Sea  Islanders  a  cocoa  nut  shallop  or  pirogue :  the  design 
of  which  they  could  never  have  obtained  from  more  civi- 
lized nations,  because  there  is  ample  proof  that  they  pos- 
sessed these  means  of  crossing  rivers,  lakes,  and  even  seas, 
previously  to  the  first  visit  of  the  white  men.  It  is  easy 
to  imagine  how  the  paddle  and  its  use  first  suggested  itself, 
and  if  it  was  very  unlike  the  elegantly-shaped  scull  or  oar 
of  the  present  day,  no  one  can  deny  that  the  same  principle 
belongs  to  both.  It  remained  for  later  years  to  bring  it  to 
perfection  and  to  invent  the  rowlocks  of  a  boat,  by  which  so 
much  additional  impetus  is  obtained  by  the  stroke  of  the 
oar,  and  subsequently  the  outriggersj  which  are  daily  increas- 
ing in  public  estimation  for  their  good  qualities. 

IN  STARTING 

Too  much  caution  cannot  be  exercised  in  stepping  into  a 
boat,  more  especially  from  one  to  another,  at  which  times 
accidents  frequently  occur  unless  great  care  is  taken  to 
preserve  the  equilibrium  of  your  body  as  well  as  of  the 
boat.  That,  however,  effected,  the  next  care  is  to  push  the 
latter  off.  This  should  be  done  by  turning  its  stem  or 
head  towards  the  tide,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  boat-hook,  or 


122  ROWING. 

if  that  be  wanting,  a  scull  or  oar,  giving  it  an  impetus  till 
she  is  fairly  afloat. 

SCULLING. 

If  you  are  about  to  row  with  a  pair  of  sculls,  seat  your- 
self in  the  centre  of  the  boat,  or  amid-ships,  as  it  is  techni- 
cally termed,  so  that  the  boat's  equipoise  may  be  equal, 
and  the  water  may  present  an  equal  resistance  round  the 
boat.  Keep  the  back,  from  the  shoulders  down  to  the  hip, 
perfectly  upright :  the  feet  should  be  in  the  middle  of  the 
stretcher,  and  pressed  firmly  against  the  footboard,  the  toes 
turned  outward,  and  the  heels  tolerably  close  together. 
Do  not,  previously  to  making  the  "  pull,"  or  stroke,  extend 
the  legs  quite,  but  in  bending  forward  keep  the  knees 
inclined,  and  the  former  will  necessarily  be  wide  apart,  so 
that  when  the  stroke  is  finished  they  will  close  together 
again,  becoming  very  nearly  straight.  Hold  the  sculls  by 
the  thinner  part  of  their  handles,  which  must  extend  or 
cross  over  each  other  in  front  just  sufficiently  to  allow  you, 
when  "  pulling  home,"  to  bring  one  hand  likewise  over  the 
other.  Dip  the  blade  lightly  in  the  water  till  it  is  entirely 
immersed ;  you  will  then  perceive  that  the  moment  this  is 
eflFected  the  arms  and  body  incline  backward,  the  latter 
assuming  an  upright  position  as  the  arms  remain  extended ; 
then  pull  the  scull  firmly  and  rapidly,  but  without  jerking, 
until  the  hands  reach  the  chest*;  nearly  the  middle  is  tho 


PULLING    WITH    THE    OAR.  123 

best,  and  with  the  act  of  feathering  the  stroke  is  terminated. 
In  sculling,  we  have  said,  the  hands  pass  over  each  other, 
but  there  is  no  arbitrary  rule  as  to  whether  the  right  hand 
should  pass  over  the  left  or  vice  versd;  many  scientific 
watermen  use  the  right  hand  uppermost  when  rowing 
against  tide,  and  the  left  hand  above  when  with  tide. 
Above  all,  never  forget  to  keep  a  good  look-out  over  the 
shoulder.  Most  of  the  accidents,  and  much  of  the  lament- 
able loss  of  life,  occur  from  negligence  on  this  point. 

PULLING  WITH  THE  OAR. 

You  seat  yourself  differently  when  using  the  oar,  than 
when  sculling.  In  the  former,  sit  nearer  to  the  gunwale  oi 
the  boat,  which  is  balanced  by  the  next  oarsman  sitting  at 
an  equal  distance  from  the  other  gunwale.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  recapitulate  the  general  directions  as  to  position  and 
method  of  striking,  which  we  have  just  given  under  the 
head  of  sculling.  In  holding  the  oar,  you  must  recollect, 
when  sitting  on  the  starboard  side,  to  clasp  the  thin  part  of 
the  handle,  close  to  the  end,  with  your  right  hand,  and  with 
your  left  the  loom,  or  shoulder  of  the  oar,  at  the  point 
where  it  begins  to  increase  in  thickness.  The  body  should 
lean  forward  from  the  hips,  the  back  kept  straight,  and  the 
stroke  is  made  in  precisely  the  same  mode  as  when  sculling. 
After  the  stroke  is  made,  the  back  will  have  lost  a  little  of 
ite  perpendicular  position,  the  head  being  erect;  the  body 


124  EOWING. 

and  arms  will  then  regain  their  natural  position,  and  after- 
wards be  brought  quickly  forward,  on  the  repetition  of  the 
stroke.  Your  eyes  should  look  "  straight  ahead,"  as  it  is  the 
duty  of  your  coxswain  to  keep  the  boat  free  from  danger. 

FEATHERING. 
You  will  not  forget  that,  previously  to  pulling,  the  arms 
are  extended,  and  the  wrists  perfectly  straight.  When  the 
sculls  have  passed  through  the  water,  just  at  the  end  of  the 
stroke,  the  elbows  must  be  lowered,  and  the  wrists  raised, 
BO  that  the  back  of  each  hand  can  be  turned  towards  that 
part  of  the  arm  between  the  elbow  and  the  shoulder.  This 
is  called  the  fore-arm,  and  in  this  mode  "feathering"  is 
effected.  During  the  return  of  the  sculls,  the  hands  must 
be  kept  in  this  position,  until  you  are  about  to  begin  an- 
other stroke,  by  dipping  the  former  in  the  water.  Then  let 
the  sculls  be  raised  a  little  out  of  the  water,  but  not  too 
high,  otherwise  the  stroke  will  be  deprived  of  half  its  power ; 
and  you  will  not  only  pull  awkwardly,  but  fall  into  other 
faults  studiously  to  be  avoided.  But  be  sure  to  raise  the 
sculls  sufficiently  high  out  of  the  water,  or  you  will  pro- 
bably feather  either  under  it  or  on  its  surface,  and  thereby 
lose  the  impetus  of  the  stroke,  at  an  unnecessary  expendi- 
ture of  strength. 

TO  BACK  WATER. 
The  method  of  effecting  this  important  proceeding  in 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  125 

boating  tactics  is  thus  performed.  Keep  the  oars  or  sculls 
a  little  beneath  the  water,  the  concave  or  broad  portion  of 
the  blade  fronting  you ;  then  push  against  it  with  force, 
and  the  boat  will  consequently  recede  through  the  water ; 
and  thus  is  accomplished  what  is  technically  termed  "  hack- 
ing water" 

CROSSING. 
When  a  boat  is  being  rowed  directly  across  the  stream, 
and  another  is  advancing  towards  it,  with  the  tide  in  its 
favour,  the  latter  must  proceed  astern  of  the  former. 

PASSING. 

When  the  channel  is  narrow,  the  boat  which  is  overtaken 
must  remain  inside,  while  the  boat  passing  it  must  take 
care  to  keep  beyond  reach  of  the  other's  oars  or  sculls. 
This  is  invariably  the  regulation,  unless  it  happens  that 
there  is  more  than  sufficient  space  for  the  advancing  boat  to 
retain  the  inside  position  without  fear  of  coming  in  contact 
with  the  other's  oars  or  sculls. 

MEETING. 

When  one  boat  is  met  by  another,  that  one  which  has  the 
tide  in  its  favour  is  bound  to  give  way  to  the  other,  if  there 
18  not  sufficient  space  for  both  to  proceed  uninterruptedly. 
It  often  occurs  that  this  space  is  so  narrow  and  confined  as 


126  ROWING. 

to  cause  both  boats  to  come  in  contact  with  each  other.  In 
such  a  case,  each  boat's  crew  must  lift  their  oars  or  scullfl 
from  the  rowlocks,  either  allowing  them  to  drift  alongside, 
or  replacing  them  in  the  boat — technically  called  "  unship^ 
ping'^  them — till  the  temporary  difficulty  is  overcome. 

TIDES. 

On  this  head  it  is  scarcely  needful  to  observe  more,  than 
that,  when  rowing  with  the  tide  the  middle  of  the  stream 
of  course  is  best,  as  the  current  at  that  point  is  considerably 
more  rapid  than  at  its  sides.  When  however  the  tide  is 
against  you,  it  must  be  evident  that  the  sides  of  the  stream 
will  be  more  favourable  to  you,  in  progress,  inasmuch  as 
the  current,  as  we  said  before,  has  less  influence  at  those 
places  than  at  the  middle. 

LANDING. 
In  order  to  land  or  disembark  at  any  particular  spot,  if 
the  tide  is  in  your  favour,  let  the  boat  be  steered,  or  guide 
it  yourself  when  you  use  no  rudder,  in  a  slightly  oblique 
direction  towards  the  place,  in  order  that  as  you  approach 
it,  the  stem  may  be  taken  down  by  the  current,  for  it  is 
always  better  to  land  stern  to  tide.  On  arriving  at  the 
place  of  landing,  your  first  care  must  be  to  unship  the  oars 
or  sculls,  and  replace  them  in  the  boat,  their  blades  forward, 
and  their  looms  or  shoulders  aft.     Then  with  the  assistance 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  127 

of  the  painter  or  head-fast,  as  it  is  somewhat  more  correctly 
termed,  jump  ashore,  and  affix  the  boat  to  some  object 
trhich  will  insure  its  security. 

REMEMBER 

I.  That  keeping  stroke  and  time  are  the  two  chief  points 
demanding  an  oarsman's  care. 

II.  That  each  oarsman  while  rowing  must  strictly  obey 
the  command  of  the  coxswain. 

III.  And  must  also  be  very  particular  to  take  his  time 
from  the  strokesman,  or  the  rower  who  sits  nearest  to  the 
boat's  stern. 

IV.  Then  when  there  is  any  swell  on  the  water,  which 
is  caused  as  well  by  the  paddle  of  steamboats,  as  by  rough, 
windy  weather,  you  cannot  be  too  careful  in  keeping  the 
boat's  bow  or  head  well  facing  it.  The  swell  of  a  river 
is  sometimes  nearly  as  dangerous  to  cutters,  &c.,  as  is  the 
heavy  ground-swell  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  galleys  of  a  man- 
of-war,  which  can  seldom  live  in  it. 

AVOID 

I.  Thrawing  vp  water. — This  is  a  source  of  very  great 
annoyance  to  others  in  the  boat,  and  should  be  studiously 
avoided. 

II.  Catching  crabs. — ^When  any  one  falls  backward  from 
the  Beat  because  of  his  scull  or  oar  passing  through  the  water 


128  ROWING. 

while  attempting  to  pull,  he  is  said  to  "  catch  a  crab/*  and 
it  is  of  so  unpleasant  a  nature,  that  the  amateur  generally 
overcomes  the  ill  habit  as  quickly  as  possible. 

III.  Jerking — for  it  is  a  fault  to  which  powerfully-mus- 
cular men  are  peculiarly  prone,  because  instead  of  bending 
back  the  body  gradually,  and  thus  by  their  mere  weight 
partially  pulling,  they  depend  solely  on  their  strength  of 
arm  and  wrist,  and  generally  pull  too  suddenly  and  violently. 
In  consequence  of  the  stroke  not  being  continued  by  falling 
backward,  it  is  terminated  sooner  than  it  should  be,  and  a 
jerk  is  the  consequence :  this  destroys  the  swing  of  the 
boat,  which  should  be  uniform.  But  besides  this  the  rower 
becomes  quickly  wearied,  the  propulsive  power  materially 
lessened,  and  it  is  a  source  of  considerable  annoyance  to  the 
remainder  of  the  boat's  crew. 

IV.  Doubling  the  hody — over  the  oar  at  the  end  of  the 
pull,  thereby  hindering  the  advancing  forward  of  the  body 
and  arms  simultaneously;  a  feature  in  good  rowing  very 
important. 

V.  Slackening  the  arms  too  quickly — which  lessens  the 
impetus  of  the  stroke,  frequently  impedes  the  progress  of 
the  boat. 

VI.  Feathering  the  sculls  he/ore  they  are  withdravm  from 
(Jie  water — or  permitting  them  to  be  borne  along  by  the 
boat.  By  the  former  you  needlessly  increase  your  own 
exertion,  and  by  the  latter  you  partially  stop  the  boat 


RULES    AND    DIBEOTIONS.  129 

These  faults  will  not  unfrequently  occur  when  the  boat  is 
very  light,  and  draws  but  a  few  inches  of  water,  and  they 
often  liappen  even  in  boats  of  ordinary  size  and  weight.  To 
avoid  them,  dip  the  scull  deeper  at  the  beginning  of  tha 
pull. 

Vil.  Rowing  with  the  hack  curved. — This,  as  we  have 
previously  explained,  is  a  very  common  blemish,  and  should 
be  avoided,  as  the  speed  is  very  much  decreased  in  con- 
sequence. 

VIII.  Pulling  into  the  boat — as  it  is  calculated  to  rock 
it,  by  which,  of  course,  considerable  power  is  lost.  This 
fault  arises  from  holding  the  sculls  so  that  the  hands  are 
too  close  together. 

IX.  FuUing  out  of  the  boat. — This  is  the  effect  produced 
by  an  unsteady  rower,  who  is  apt  to  roll  towards  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat  in  falling  back  after  pulling,  and  is  amended  by 
sitting  nearer  to  the  gunwale  These  last  two  faults  arc 
particularly  the  case  with  persojs  ambitious  of  distinction, 
and  "  showing  off,"  but  deficient  of  ability  and  power.  By 
the  experienced  eye,  they  are  however  quickly  discovered, 
and  a  laugh  is  the  only  result. 

X.  Rowing  round — which  is  caused  by  not  dipping  the 
Bculls  or  oar  in  the  water  sufl&ciently  deep  at  first.  The 
rower  feels  that  the  water  does  not  offer  adequate  resistance, 
and  thereupon  endeavours  to  deepen  the  blade  of  the  oar, 
thus  describing  the  segment  of  a  circle,  and  bringing  the 

9 


130  ROWING. 

flat  portion  of  the  blade  almost  perpendicularly  to  the  water 
— the  boat  is  consequently  pressed  down  by  the  strain. 
"Catching  crabs''  frequently  results  from  this  ill  habit, 
which  should  be  cautiously  shunned. 

XI.  Capping  the  oar — or  the  end  of  it,  with  the  hands. 
Independently  of  its  awkward  appearance,  it  gives  birth  to 
many  of  the  faults  we  have  previously  cited. 

Xn.  Not  keeping  stroke. — It  is  very  different  from  not 
keeping  time.  It  is  not  working  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  stroke  oar,  even  though  you  may  keep  time  by  dropping 
your  oar  into  the  water  at  the  same  moment  as  the  strokes- 
man  does.  This  is  perhaps  the  most  dangerous  fault  of  all 
we  have  enumerated,  inasmuch  as  the  entire  progress  of 
the  boat  depends  upon  the  equal  and  simultaneous  efforts 
of  its  crew.  Remember,  therefore,  that  the  pull  must  begin 
directly  the  blade  of  your  oar  is  thoroughly  immersed  in 
the  water. 

Xm.  Kot  keeping  timt. — ^The  awkwardness  of  this  fault 
should  alone  induce  you  to  overcome  it  as  soon  as  possible. 
But  if  you  cannot  keep  time  (that  is  by  not  dropping  your 
oar  into  the  water  simultaneously  with  the  strokesman), 
you  will  find  yourself  unfit  to  row  with  others,  and  they 
will  shun  you  in  consequence.    ' 

SEA  ROWING. 
The  same  general  remarks  we  have  given  as  applicable  to 


SEA    ROWING.  131 

river  rowing  will  also  be  of  service  on  this  head ;  and  we 
need  add  nothing  else  than  the  following  cautions.  If  there 
is  a  swell  when  landing  on  the  sea-shore,  exercise  some- 
what more  care  than  you  would  on  a  river.  The  boats,  how- 
ever, used  on  the  sea,  are  always  stronger,  larger,  and  better 
manned ;  but  it  is  always  advisable  to  watch  for  a  smooth, 
or  temporary  abatement  of  the  swell,  and  as  soon  as  a  good 
opportunity  presents  itself,  seize  it,  and  with  united  strength 
pull  towards  the  shore,  forcing  the  boat  as  high  upon  the 
Deach  as  possible.  It  is  then  the  duty  of  the  bowman  to 
jump  ashore  with  the  painter,  or  headfast,  in  his  hand,  and 
drag  the  boat  beyond  the  reach  of -the  surf.  It  is  the  work 
of  a  moment  for  the  crew  to  unship  their  oars  and  lay  them 
in  the  boat,  as  previously  described,  and  to  jump  ashore  to 
render  assistance  to  the  bowman  if  needed.  This  aid  should 
always  be  tendered  on  occasions  where  the  boat  is  large  and 
heavy,  and  the  surf  high. 

Somewhat  less  easy  of  accomplishment  is  it  to  launch  a 
boat  from  the  sea  beach.  If  the  swell  is  rather  heavy,  and 
the  boat  large,  the  two  bowmen  should  enter  the  boat  ready 
to  use  their  oars  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  remainder  of 
the  crew  in  equal  divisions  on  each  side,  should  then  grasp 
her  gunwale,  and  propel  her  bow  toward  the  sea,  and  in 
order  to  do  this  they  are  generally  compelled  to  enter  the 
water.  Not  until  she  is  fairly  oflF  shore  should  they  jump 
in,  for  the  probability  would  be,  that  if  the  swell  carried  her 


182  EOWING. 

back,  so  that  she  grounded,  and  shipped  a  sea,  her  head 
would  he  turned,  and  she  would  be  capsized  by  the  next  sea 
before  her  crew  could  prevent  it.  It  sometimes  happens, 
too,  that  even  when  afloat,  her  head  is  turned  by  reason- 
of  her  crew's  movement  not  being  sufficiently  rapid  in  get- 
ting her  well  off:  when  this  occurs,  the  two  bowmen  should 
proceed  to  the  bow  with  their  oars,  or  still'better,  with  their 
boat-hooks,  and  propel  the  boat's  head  from  the  shore,  by 
forcing  them  into  the  strand.  Remember  that  your  boat's 
broadside  lying  to  sea  is  accompanied  by  very  great  danger ; 
the  boat's  stern  should  always  be  kept  hard  to  sea  if  pos- 
sible, and  it  will  be  found  much  less  difficult  to  keep  it  thus, 
than,  when  the  swell  has  once  turned  it  shoreward,  to  regain 
its  head-way  to  sea. 

TERMS  USED  IN  BOATING. 

Bow. — The  head  of  the  boat. 

Bow  oar. — The  right,  or  starboard  oar,  nearest  the  boT* 
of  the  boat. 

Bowman. — The  man  nearest  the  boat's  bow. 

Coxswain. — He  who  steers  the  boat. 

Cut-water. — The  stem,  or  head's  point 

Foresheets. — The  open  space  towards  the  boat's  head. 

Headfast. — A  rppe  affixed  forward  to  secure  the  boat 
fcftei  landing. 


A     PEW    FINAL    REMARKS.  133 

In  Bow. — A  direction  for  the  bowman  to  prepare  with 
Ills  boat-hook  to  make  all  clear  for  shore. 

Out-riggers. — The  modern  improvement  on  rowlocks. 

Bow  off. — The  direction  given  by  the  coxswain  for  the 
oars  to  be  laid,  in  being  unshipped,  with  their  blades  for- 
ward. 

Rowlocks. — The  interstices  made  in  the  boat's  gunwale 
for  the  insertion  of  the  sculls  or  oars. 

"  Shijp"  the  sculls,  or  oars. — To  insert  them  in  the  row- 
locks ready  for  rowing. 

Stem  Sheets. — ^The  space  between  the  bowman's  seat  and 
the  stern. 

Stroke  oar. — That  which  the  strokesman  uses. 

Strokesman. — ^The  rower  who  sits  nearest  the  stem. 

Strokeside. — The  right  or  "  port"  side. 

Thowlptns. — Sometimes  used  for  rowlocks. 

Tiller.— The  rudder. 

Unship  sculls. — The  order  to  take  them  out  of  the  row- 
locks. 

Weather  oar. — So  called  when  it  is  on  that  side  from 
which  the  wind  blows. 

A  FEW  FINAL  BEMARKS. 
In  the  preceding  hints  wo  have  endeavoured  to  explain, 
as  succinctly  as  lay  in  our  power,  not  only  the  method  where- 
by it  is  comparatively  easy  to  become  an  expert  rower,  but 


184  BOWING. 

have  recapitulated  all  those  faults  which  should  most  stu- 
diously  be  avoided,  and  those  directions  cannot,  we  think, 
fail  to  make  any  one  theoretically  acquainted  with  the  art 
of  rowing,  if  he  will  endeavour  to  understand  and  recollect 
them.  The  old  proverb,  "  Practice  makes  perfect,''  so  ad- 
mirable in  itself,  is  peculiarly  applicable  in  the  present 
instance.  The  best  theory  will  never  make  one  a  master 
of  any  art,  nor  will  practice  alone  effect  it.  It  is  by  the 
conjunction  of  the  two,  however,  that  we  are  enabled  to 
overcome  all  its  obstacles,  and  to  obtain  the  complete 
mastery.  The  difficulties  that  beset  the  learner  during  his 
first  attempts  with  the  scull  or  oar  are  manifold,  but  let  him 
not  be  disheartened  by  them.  The  observance  and  practice 
of  our  directions  will  soon  surmount  them.  In  the  mean 
time,  let  us  advise  him  to  take  a  few  practical  lessons  from 
some  experienced  person,  which  will  considerably  facilitate 
his  progress. 

And  we  would  seriously  impress  on  each  of  our  young 
readers  the  necessity,  until  they  shall  have  obtained  some 
little  knowledge  of  the  art,  of. not  venturing  into  a  boat 
without  some  experienced  friend  or  waterman.  Many  la- 
mentable cases  of  loss  of  life  have  occurred  by  these  prema- 
ture attempts  at  rowing.  In  a  little  time,  with  patience 
and  practice,  he  will,  like  the  "  Jolly  Young  Waterman" 
himself,  be  enabled  to 

"  Feather  his  oars  with  skill  and  dexterity." 


BIDING. 


This  accomplishment,  besides  being  a  most  elegant  and 
fascinating  exercise,  may  justly  be  called  one  of  the  "busi- 
nesses of  life,"  and  is  besides  one  of  the  ambitions  to  which 
manhood  and  boyhood  more  or  less  are  prone.  But  we  are 
not  about  to  inflict  on  our  young  readers  a  tiresome  disser- 
tation on  this  subject.  The  heavier  care  of  endeavouring 
to  explain  lucidly,  and  within  our  limited  compass,  the  mys- 
teries of  riding,  presses  upon  us. 

THE  HORSE. 

This  noble  creature,  the  monarch  of  domestic  animals, 
has  been  so  frequently  and  so  well  described  as  to  need  no 
further  eulogy  from  a  pen  so  humble  as  ours.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  for  beauty,  intelligence,  docility,  and  courage,  he 
is  not  to  be  surpassed.  To  the  ancients  as  well  as  to  our- 
selves, the  noble  nature  of  the  horse  has  endeared  him ;  and 
hifl  was  a  master-spirit  who  called  this  pride  of  Natural 
History,  the  "Friend  of  Man." 

(135) 


136  RIDING. 

THE  SADDLE 
Should  be  fixed  carefully,  about  an  inch,  or  perhaps  more, 
behind  the  flat  bone  of  the  shoulder,  called  the  ^^  plate  hone,* 
and  should  be  at  least  4  inches  from  the  hips.  Frequently 
the  saddle  is  fixed  too  forward,  and  when  this  is  the  case, 
the  rider  is  too  close  to  the  horse's  neck,  and  is  consequently 
less  able  to  control  its  motions.  Besides,  it  impedes  the 
free  action  of  the  animal's  shoulder,  and  renders  him  more 
liable  to  trip.  A  crupper  is  sometimes  necessary  to  keep 
the  saddle  from  working  or  ^^riding^^  forward,  and  pos- 
sesses the  advantage  of  permitting  the  girths  to  be  some- 
what more  loose  than  when  the  girths  alone  sustain  the 
saddle  in  its  proper  position.  A  saddle  that  fits  well  is  a 
luxury,  as  all  riders  will  tell  you,  and  horses,  too,  if  they 
could  articulate ;  and  your  seat  is  always  uneasy  if  the  sad- 
dle bears  too  closely  on  one  side,  and  the  reverse  way  on  the 
other  3  remember  that  it  should  always  press  evenly  on  the 
ribs.  Always  tighteri  the  girths  equally  on  both  sides  of 
the  saddle.  It  is  too  generally  done  on  the  near  or  left  side 
only,  and  this  is  the  cause  of  frequent  discomfort  both  io 
horse  and  rider.  Take  care  to  buckle  the  back  girth  in  the 
first  place,  and  afterwards  that  in  front,  which  is  made  tc 
lap  over  the  other  so  as  to  preserve  it  in  its  proper  place 
When  a  horse  is  malformed,  you  must,  in  order  that  the 
saddle  should  not  shift  on  to  the  withers,  tighten  the  back 
girth  over  the  front 


THE    BBIDLE.  137 

THE  STIKRUPS. 

In  order  to  ascertain  the  correct  length  of  the  stirrups, 
place  the  finger-tips  of  the  right  hand  on  one  of  the  stirrup- 
leather  catches,  and  either  increase  or  diminish  the  number 
of  holes,  until  the  stirrup  just  reaches  to  the  right  arm-pit. 
This  will  be  found  in  most  instances  to  succeed. 

THE  BRIDLE. 

After  the  saddle  is  adjusted,  the  next  duty  is  to  remove 
the  halter,  and  fix  the  bridle,  not  the  least  important  of  the 
horse's  equipments.  And  first  of  the  bit — called  in  former 
times,  the  hitle.  It  should  be  neither  too  large,  nor  the 
contrary,  but  preserve  that  happy  medium  which  secures 
safety  to  the  rider  and  comfort  to  the  horse.  We  have  not 
space  to  enter  into  a  description  of  the  various  bits,  &c.,  of 
modern  use,  but  merely  warn  our  young  readers  against 
the  use  of  the  lever  or  curb-lit^  which  not  only  injures  the 
horse's  mouth,  but  ruins  his  temper  and  pace,  its  whole 
force  being  concentrated  on  the  animal's  jaw.  It  possesses 
the  power  of  pinching  the  bars  with  such  cruel  violence  that 
fracture  of  the  bone  has  not  unfrequently  occurred,  even 
with  branches  of  no  unusual  length ;  and  can  likewise  crush 
and  bruise  the  skin  beneath  the  jaw  and  the  tender  covering 
of  the  inside  of  the  mouth.  Horses  should  never  be  pun. 
ishcd  unnecessarily,  for  they  vary  materially  in  the  degree 
of  command  over  the  mouth.    If  a  horse  falls  to  the  ground 


138  RIDING. 

through  violently  pulling  one  of  these  lever-bits,  the  result 
is  frequently  fracture  of  the  jaw.  But  a  high-spirited  horse 
will  not  brook  a  curb-bit,  and  the  snaffle  is  then  adopted 
instead ;  and  we  would  recommend,  with  the  most  unqua- 
lified approval,  the  use  of  the  latter  in  all  cases.  Double 
reins  are  perhaps  to  be  preferred  to  the  single  rein  when  a 
horse  will  submit  to  them,  inasmuch  as  they  give  the  rider 
an  entire  control  over  the  animal  with  the  left  hand  merely ; 
and  besides,  they  are  stronger  than  the  single  snaffle. 
When  you  use  the  double  reins,  recollect  the  bridoon  or 
snaffle  is  regulated  by  one  rein,  and  the  curb  by  the  other. 
In  bridling,  look  that  the  curb  chain  and  snap,  and  the 
throat-lash,  are  loose,  then  introduce  the  right  arm  through 
the  reins,  so  as  to  separate  them,  and  hold  the  check-straps 
and  head-stall  by  the  right  thumb ;  after  that  pass  the  reins 
over  the  animal's  head,  suffering  them  to  remain  on  his  neck, 
substitute  your  left  thumb  for  your  right,  and  guiding  the 
bit  into  his  mouth  with  the  left  hand,  at  the  same  moment 
bringing  over  the  horse's  ears  the  head-stall.  The  throat- 
lash  should  be  fastened  sufficiently  loose  to  enable  you  to 
introduce  two  of  your  fingers  betT^een  it  and  the  horse's 
cheek.  Then  take  care  that  the  curb-chain  be  not  twisted, 
and  draw  the  links  up  so  as  to  allow  space  enough  to  insert 
the  forefingers  between  the  animal's  jaw  and  the  curb.  K 
the  horse  keeps  his  head  steady,  he  may  be  sure  the  bit  is 
correctly  freed ;  and  this  will  be  confirmed  by  the  readiness 


TO   MOUNT.  139 

with  which  he  obeys  his  rider,  and  by  his  easiness  and 
lightness  in  hand.  If  a  noseband  is  added  to  the  bridle  it 
must  not  be  buckled  too  tightly,  but  so  as  to  admit  tho 
same  amount  of  play. 

TO  MOUNT, 
Stand,  whip  in  left  hand  with  its  handle  upwards,  before 
the  horse's  left  shoulder,  take  between  the  forefinger  and 
thumb  of  the  right  hand  the  snaffle  rein  at  its  centre,  allow- 
ing the  curb-rein  to  remain  loose  on  the  animal's  neck,  draw 
the  former  (the  snaffle  rein)  up  between  the  first  and  third 
finger  of  the  left  hand — the  middle  finger  separating  them 
— until  it  is  sufficiently  tight  for  you  to  feel  the  horse's 
mouth,  and  let  the  slack  end  drop  over  the  middle  joint  of 
the  forefinger,  so  that  it  falls  down  on  the  off-side  of  tho 
animal's  neck.  Afterwards  take  the  centre  of  the  curb- 
rein  between  the  forefinger  and  thumb  of  the  right  hand, 
taking  care  that  they  hang  more  loosely  than  the  snaffle 
rein.  Divide  it  with  the  little  finger  of  the  left  hand ;  draw 
the  slack  ends  up  the  palm,  and  let  them  fall  over  the  ends 
of  the  snaffle  rein  on  the  off-side.  This  accomplished,  then 
grasp  firmly  a  lock  of  the  horse's  mane,  with  the  left  hand, 
using  the  precaution  not  to  displace  the  reins  it  holds — rest 
it  on  the  animal's  neck,  within  six  or  eight  inches  distance 
from  the  pummel  of  the  saddle,  close  to  the  withers.  Then 
introduce  tho  left  foot  into  the  stirrup,  and  as  this  is  some« 


140  RIDING. 

what  difficult  to  tyros,  hold  it  in  the  right  hand  for  that 
purpose ;  after  that  rest  the  right  hand  on  the  cantlc,  and 
raise  the  body  till  the  right  foot  is  close  to  the  left,  and  the 
saddle  is  pressed  by  both  knees.  Shift  the  right  hand  from 
the  cantle  to  the  pummel,  and  move  the  right  leg  rapidly, 
but  without  jerking  or  haste,  over  the  horse,  and  fall  easily 
— ^it  is  a  little  difficult  at  first — into  the  saddle ;  strike  the 
right  stirrup  quickly  with  the  toe  of  your  right  boot,  which 
can  be  done  by  inclining  it  slightly  inwards,  and  as  the 
stirrup  swings  round  insert  the  foot  into  it.  Practise  this 
a  few  times  at  first,  because  the  hand  should  on  no  occasion 
be  employed  when  you  lose  the  stirrups,  and  you  will  soon 
be  enabled  to  drop  them,  even  when  galloping,  and  by 
striking  both  toes  at  once  inwards  regain  possession  of 
them. 

The  rein  should  be  drawn  up,  when  once  seated,  and 
the  whip  now  transferred  into  the  right  hand.  The  snaffle 
must  be  held  so  as  to  give  the  horse's  head  unfettered  motion; 
the  curb-chain  however  will  require  to  be  more  slackened 
than  the  former. 

As  to  position  when  on  horseback^  we  need  scarcely  say 
more  than  that  the  head  should  be  held  perpendicularly, 
the  chin  drawn  back,  the  chest  expanded,  the  shoulders 
back,  and  the  hip  curved.  The  best  advice  we  can  offer  on 
this  point  is,  that  the  rider  should  generally  bend  his  looks 
in  front  of  him,  and  over  the  horse's  head,  between  thi 


WALKING.  141 

ears.  The  elbows  should  be  close  to  the  sides,  the  bridle- 
hand  uppermost.  Do  not  sit  too  backward  in  the  saddle, 
nor,  on  the  contrary,  too  close  to  the  pommel.  The  legs 
should  not  remain  in  that  straight,  stiflF  mode  so  distinctive 
of  the  "  London  Cockney,''  but  the  knees  slightly  curved  : 
so  that,  in  fact,  the  foot-bar  of  the  stirrup  reach  about  an 
inch  beyond  the  ankle.  It  is  an  excellent  method  to  practise 
without  stirrups,  for  it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  these 
articles  are  only  intended  as  a  means  whereby  to  mount, 
and  to  dismount,  and  as  a  rest  merely  for  the  foot,  the 
ankles  of  which  would  probably  be,  otherwise,  liable  to 
painful  swellings,  and  not  as  an  aid  for  a  rider  to  sustain  a 
firm  seat. 

WALKING. 
Let  us  take  "  walking"  as  the  first  illustration  of  the 
horse's  paces,  and  in  this  act  the  animal  has  always  one  leg 
off  the  ground  and  three  on  it.  In  order  to  urge  the  horse 
to  move  in  a  walk,  increase  the  action  on  his  mouth  a  little 
by  holding  up  the  hand,  and  press  his  flanks  with  both  legs 
slightly,  but  rather  more  on  the  right  side  to  indicate  the 
rider's  will  that  the  horss  should  raise  or  "  lead"  his  right 
leg  first.  The  intelligent  animal  will  quickly  obey  this 
command,  and  then  the  pressure  on  the  mouth  should  be 
cased  and  that  of  the  legs  relaxed,  or  the  walk  will  soon  be 
increased  into  a  trot. 


142  RIDING. 

In  order  to  make  the  liorsc  halt  while  walking,  the  rider's 
arms  should  be  pressed  to  his  side,  and  both  reins  tightened 
gradually,  but  decisively,  towards  the  chest,  the  horseman 
also  bending  back  his  body  so  as  to  add  a  firmer  direction 
to  the  animal.  This  intimation  should  not  be  repeated  by 
pulling  the  rein  after  the  first  time,  as  the  horse  will  instinct- 
ively obey  the  check  at  once. 

TROTTING. 
If  you  desire  the  animal  to  trot,  press  both  legs  firmly 
to  his  flanks,  and  raise  the  bridle-hand  at  the  same  time, 
but  without  a  jerk.  It  is  frequently  necessary  to  encourage 
a  horse  with  the  voice ;  and  so  accustomed  does  this  docile 
animal  become  to  his  rider's  word  of  command,  that  it  is 
obeyed  readily  and  with  wonderful  intelligence.  Once  in 
a  trot,  however,  you  can  sufi'er  the  hand  to  resume  and 
retain  its  proper  position,  and  ease  his  mouth ;  do  not  lean 
too  forward,  and  let  the  knees  and  thighs  clasp  the  horse's 
flank,  not  the  former  merely.  The  body  should  be  carried 
so  that  it  can  yield  without  efi'ort  to  the  action  of  the  horse, 
by  rising  or  sinking  in  the  saddle  easily.  The  animal's 
action  or  pax:e  should  never  be  anticipated  by  the  rider  in 
his  desire  to  assist  it,  inasmuch  as  it  looks  very  awkward 
Jind  makes  him  appear  as  if  momentarily  in  danger  of  fall- 
ing off;  a  person  who  "rides  quicker  than  his  horse,"  as  the 
phrase  goes,  is  generally  a  subject  for  ridicule.     Boys  feel 


GALLOPING.  143 

the  keenness  of  this  as  well  as  "children  of  a  larger 
growth ;"  they  will  therefore  be  careful  how  they  fall  into 
this  ill  habit. 

CANTERING, 
Though  by  some  writers  called  a  species  of  gallop,  should 
be  in  reality  treated  of  as  a  distinct  pace,  inasmuch  as  the 
horse  has  always  in  canter  three  feet  off  the  ground,  whereas 
in  galloping  he  has  all  four  off  simultaneously.  It  is  the 
most  difl&cult  of  all  paces.  In  order  to  direct  the  animal 
into  a  canter,  let  both  legs  be  with  the  hips  slightly  inflected, 
so  as  to  press,  by  bending  forward  the  thigh  on  the  leading 
side,  with  the  leg  of  the  opposite  side  on  the  croup.  Raise 
the  hand  simultaneously  somewhat  above  the  level  of  the 
elbow,  and  the  horse  will  instinctively  bring  himself  well 
on  his  haunches,  and  will  then  fall  into  the  canter.  But 
you  must  not  suffer  it  to  lapse  into  a  trot,  and  to  prevent 
that,  should  he  seem  so  inclined,  keep  the  hand  firmer. 
Once  in  a  canter,  shorten  the  inner  rein  more  than  the 
other,  so  that  the  pace  may  be  retained.  To  turn  when 
cantering,  urge  the  horse  with  the  leading  rein,  press  the 
haunches  forward  and  under,  and  aid  by  the  pressure  of  the 
calf  of  the  outward  leg  and  with  the  outward  rein. 

GALLOPING. 
In  this  pace  the  four  legs  of  the  horse  are  lifted  off  the 
ground  at  once,  and  the  pace  is  consequently  far  swifter. 


144  BIDINQ. 

The  voice  of  the  rider,  and  a  tightened  rein,  will  soon  urge 
the  animal  into  a  trot.  To  gallop  to  the  left,  lead  with  the 
near  fore-leg ;  to  gallop  to  the  right,  lead  with  the  right 
fore-leg,  the  hind  legs  of  each  side  following  its  fore-leg. 
To  change  the  leading  leg,  bring  the  opposite  hip  foremost, 
and  reverse  the  reins ;  the  horse  will  then  shift  the  lead 
with  the  opposite  leg  without  any  stop.  To  halt,  either 
when  galloping  or  cantering,  should  not  be  attempted  too 
suddenly  or  violently,  unless  you  can  depend  upon  your 
horse.  The  double  stop  is  always  best ; .  as  it  is  more  com- 
pletely efifectual.  This  is  done  by  inclining  the  body 
gently  backward;  this  causes  the  animal  to  decrease  his 
speed,  and  if  the  body  is  retained  in  that  position,  he  obeys 
the  stops  at  the  next  ^'cadence."  The  reins  are  always 
shortened  in  these  stops,  as  we  have  already  mentioned 
more  than  once. 

LEAPING. 
This,  the  most  difficult  of  all  feats  in  equestrianism, 
requires  only  confidence,  a  perfect  balance,  and  adaptability 
to  the  horse's  slightest  motion.  Leaping  at  the  bar,  as 
practised  in  the  riding  school,  will  be  found  of  great  utility, 
inasir.uch  as  it  imparts  experience  enough  to  the  horseman 
to  be  of  service  to  the  horse  by  assisting  him  in  his  leap. 
K(ep  the  animal  well  in  hand,  and  ride  him  to  the  leap 
deliberately,  using  the  voice  also  as  a  means  of  encouraging 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  145 

him  still  more,  and  your  steed  will  measure  the  distance, 
and  effect  the  leap  alone.  A  free  bridle  rein  and  hand, 
and  a  firm,  flexible  seat,  are  the  rider's  chief  requisites ; 
and  the  hand  should  be  kept  low  and  in  the  centre,  with 
the  elbows  pressing  the  side.  As  the  horse  rises  to  the 
leap  the  body  will  naturally  assume  a  forward  position, 
when  he  descends  it  is  thrown  backward.  From  this  it 
will  be  perceived  the  rider's  body  is  in  all  cases  (let  the 
horse  proceed  at  what  pace  he  will)  perpendicular  from  the 
earth,  and  this  is  the  grand  secret  of  equitation,  and  all  the 
voluminous  rules  of  the  nUnage  resolve  themselves  into  it. 
The  safety  in  the  saddle  depends  on  this  upright  position  • 
and  remember  always  to  give  the  horse  a  sufficiently  free 
use  of  his  head  as  not  to  lose  your  command  and  restraint 
over  him.  A  hedge  is  the  best  and  least  dangerous  leap 
for  practice. 

REMEMBER, 

1.  Should  you  wish  to  turn  your  horse  to  the  right,  pull 
the  right  rein,  and,  vice  versd,  if  you  wish  to  proceed  to  the 
left;  only  move  the  animal's  head  just  sufficiently  to  see 
his  eye.  This,  of  course,  applies  equally  to  cases  where 
you  have  double  reins.  There  are  several  species  of  rein- 
holds  in  use,  each  of  which  is  said  to  possess  its  exclusive 
advantage;  some  of  our  readers  will  prefer  one  kind,  som< 
another. 
10 


146  IIIDINO. 

2.  To  shift  or  change  the  bridooD;  substitute  the  foro 
finger  of  one  hand  for  the  little  finger  of  the  other. 

3.  To  shorten  reins,  let  the  left  hand  retain  its  position, 
though  the  fingers  should  be  a  little  loosened ;  and  aft^r 
taking  the  slack  reins  in  your  right  hand,  draw  them  all 
equally  and  evenly,  until  they  are  of  the  requisite  length ; 
then  take  between  the  fore  finger  and  thumb  the  loose  reins, 
and  draw  them  tight  with  the  left  hand. 

4.  Never  pull  the  reins  with  force,  or  "tug"  them  ha& 
tily ;  a  light  hand  is  the  true  method  of  teaching  the  horse 
his  duty. 

5.  The  horse  is  what  is  termed  "collected,"  when  he 
obeys  your  will  readily,  and  you  "/eeZ"  his  mouth  just  suf- 
ficiently to  ensure  obedience. 

6.  A  heavy  hand  generally  ruins  a  horse's  mouth. 

7.  A  careless  one  frequently  risks  the  neck  or  life  of  the 
rider. 

8.  To  turn  to  the  right,  shorten  the  right  hand  upwards. 

9.  To  turn  to  the  left,  shorten  the  left  rein. 

10.  To  make  the  horse  stop,  shorten  both  reins. 

11.  To  urge  him  backwards,  pull  the  reins  (shortened) 
till  he  has  receded  as  fiir  as  you  require. 

12.  Keep  the  horse's  head  straight;  he  should  always 
look  before  him. 

13.  And  the  knuckles  should  be  kept  towards  the  ani- 


RULES    AND     niRECTIONS.  147 

mal's  neck,  the  finger-nails  opposite  the  rider's  chest,  the 
heel  firmly  pressed  down,  and  the  toes  turned  in. 

14.  The  body  should  be  carried  with  ease.  As  we  have 
said  before,  the  rider  should  mainly  depend,  for  an  easy  and 
secure  seat,  on  the  perfect  equilibrium  of  the  body,  rather 
than  upon  the  support  of  reins  or  stirrups,  and  the  clasp 
of  the  thigh  and  leg. 

15.  Our  young  readers  need  scarcely  be  informed  of  the 
common  terms  used  on  the  road,  "Ticar*'  and  "ojf,"  as 
applied  to  the  side  of  the  horse.  They  will  recollect  we 
have  told*  them,  that  the  rider  on  mounting  stands  on  the 
left  side  of  the  animal ;  it  is  therefore  that  the  nearest  side 
of  the  steed  (or  the  left  side)  is  called  the  "  near  side,"  and 
by  the  term  "  off  side"  is  known  the  right  side,  or  that  which 
is  farthest  off  from  the  rider. 

16.  The  near  side  of  the  road  should  be  kept  on  all 
occasions.  Our  young  readers  will  do  well  to  remember 
this. 

17.  But  if  you  desire  to  pass  any  vehicle  or  horse  that  is 
proceeding  at  a  slower  pace  than  you,  you  may  pass  on  the 
right  side,  but  remember  to  cross  over  directly  afterwards 
to  your  proper  side  of  the  road. 

18.  Be  watchful  over  the  horse's  every  motion.  On  thi» 
depends  the  Fccurity  of  your  seat,  if  the  animal  becomes 
restive,  or  attempts  to  rear,  or  falls. 

19.  No  habit  is  more  ludicrous  than  that  of  allowing  tii« 


148  RIDING. 

arms  to  flap  up  and  down,  as  if  beating  a  tattoo  on  the  ribs 
with  the  elbows.     Avoid  it. 

20.  Always  keep  the  shoulders  square.  Any  change  of 
•position  of  the  hips  should  not  produce  a  corresponding 
motion  of  the  former. 

21.  If  a  horse  is  given  to  stumbling,  rearing,  or  kicking, 
it  is  safest  to  hold  the  reins  with  both  hands,  and  to  keep 
them  more  shortened  than  usually.  In  the  first  mentioned 
of  these  instances,  press  your  legs  well  to  the  animal's  sides, 
as  it  gives  him  confidence  in  his  rider.  This  should  be 
more  particularly  attended  to  when  descending  a  hill.  A 
rearing  horse  demands  your  constant  attention,  and  is  very 
dangerous  to  an  inexperienced  rider.  When  the  animal 
begins  to  rear,  separate  the  reins,  tightening  one  and  slack- 
ening the  other ;  he  will  then  be  compelled  to  move  one  of 
his  hind  feet,  which  necessarily  causes  him  to  replace  his 
fore  feet  on  the  ground  again.  Turn  him  round  once  or 
twice  after  this,  using  the  spur  gently.  If,  however,  the 
horse  has  reared  before  you  can  prevent  him  doing  so,  lean 
the  body  well  forward,  and  endeavour  to  press  him  down ; 
then  act  as  before  directed.  If  a  horse  is  addicted  t.o  kick- 
ing, always  hold  him  with  a  short  bridle ;  not  too  much  so, 
however,  or  it  will  prevent  his  progress.  When  he  attempts 
to  kick,  throw  the  body  well  back,  and  keep  his  head 
thoroughly  under  subjection.  Turning  him  round,  with  a 
gentle  use  of  the  spur,  will  in  time  correct  this  fault. 


RULES    AND    DIRECTIONS.  149 

22.  Horses  frequently  become  uneasy  without  any  apparent 
eansc.  When  this  is  the  case,  be  careful  that  he  is  galled 
by  neither  bit,  curb,  saddle,  crupper,  nor  head  straps,  as  it 
invariably  arises  from  some  misfit  of  the  harness.  Many 
riders  flog  a  horse  for  this  uneasiness.  To  do  so  is  not  only 
hazardous,  but  cruel. 

23.  A  plunging  steed  only  requires  the  rider's  patience. 
His  efforts  nearly  always  fail  to  burst  his  girths.  You 
must  take  care,  however,  that  he  does  not  jerk  you  forward, 
as  he  gets  his  head  down.  Till  he  is  quiet,  keep  your  legs 
pressed  tightly  to  his  sides. 

24.  A  horse  that  bolts,  only  requires  restraint,  not  by  a 
perpetual  curb,  but  by  checking  him  by  one  or  two  pulls, 
with  both  hands  depressed. 

25.  A  shying  animal  needs  only  a  patient  kindness  and 
attention,  as  it  generally  arises  from  timidity,  and  in  some 
cases  an  imperfect  sight.  Keep  his  head  high  and  straight 
forward,  and  press  him  with  the  leg  on  the  side  toward 
which  he  shies.  Recollect  that  a  horse  never  rushes  in 
the  direction  of  the  object  which  startles  him;  and  if  pos- 
sible, encourage  him  to  look  at,  and  proceed  close  to  it.  In 
Bomo  animals,  however,  this  fault  can  never  bo  corrected ; 
but  by  these  means,  many  horses  have  been  perfectly  cured 
of  it. 

26.  If  a  horse  attempts  to  rub  your  leg  against  a  walL 


150  RIDINd. 

turn  his  head  toward  it,  and  he  will  cease;  if  not,  back 
him. 

27.  Restiveness  in  horses  needs  firmness,  and,  never  for- 
get it, patience;  to  lose  that,  is  to  give  the  animal  the 
advantage.  Except  you  wish  to  turn  the  croup,  it  is  better 
not  to  use  the  spur ;  and  if  your  horse  tries  to  turn  to  the 
left,  do  not  pull  to  the  right,  but  press  him  to  the  left  rather 
more  than  he  desires,  and  then  turn  his  head  in  the  proper 
direction,  and  urge  him  forward.  If  he  stands  stock  still, 
allow  him  to  do  so.  A  minute  or  two  will  tire  him ;  and 
always  be  willing  to  make  peace  with  your  horse.  His 
instinct  is  so  great  and  his  spirit  so  high,  that  he  will  quickly 
perceive  and  avail  himself  of  this  willingness. 

28.  A  good  horseman  can  always  make  his  steed  lead 
with  either  foot ;  and  change  is  frequently  beneficial. 

29.  It  is  better  to  restrain  your  horse  on  starting,  or  he 
will  soon  be  "  blown,"  as  the  phrase  goes ;  that  is,  be  out 
of  breath,  and  his  gallop  prevented  for  the  day.  In  a  heavy 
country,  never  gallop  him  too  fast,  and  when  proceeding 
over  a  fallow  field,  always  choose  the  hedge  side,  as  the 
ground  is  generally  firmer  there.  Otherwise  the  horse 
becomes  rapidly  exhausted. 

30.  In  the  manage,  several  terms,  such  as  '' appui/* 
*'aid,"  ^^  support,"  ^'correspondence,"  &c.,  are  used  to  denote 
the  mutually  good  understanding  between  the  horse  and 
bis  rider,  by  means  of  the  bridle.     And  the  animal  is  said 


CONCLUSION.  151 

to  be  "  collected/'  "  united,"  or  "  dis-united ;"  but  these 
significations,  however  useful  they  may  be  in  the  school, 
arc  quite  unnecessary  to  be  learned,  to  become  even  a  first- 
rate  horseman. 

IN  CONCLUSION. 

Let  us  impress  upon  our  young  readers,  to  show  concilia- 
tion and  kindness  to  this  intelligent  and  noble  beast.  Any 
one  that  is  cruel  to  an  animal,  can  never  be  admired  for 
bis  humanity ;  how  much  the  less,  then,  when  he  is  so  to 
a  creature  the  most  useful  to  Man,  and  the  most  tractable 
and  symmetrical  of  all.  Some  riders  pull  at  the  reins  with 
all  their  strength,  inflicting  much  pain  to  the  horse's  mouth, 
and  when  he  backs,  punish  him  with  the  whip,  complain- 
ing that  he  will  not  stand  still.  Is  there  anything  more 
absurd  or  unjust  ?  The  rider  ought  assuredly  to  be  master, 
but  he  can  never  be  so,  unless  he  tempers  firmness  with 
gentleness.  A  good  horse  performs  well,  when  walking 
four  miles  an  hour;  cantering  six  and  a  half;  trotting  eight 
and  a  half;  and  galloping  eleven.  An  animal  out  of  con- 
dition, or  even  of  the  ordinary  kind,  will  not  keep  paces 
like  these. 

A  horse  is  nervously  sensitive  of  pain,  and  ill  usage  will 
often  break  his  spirit  and  temper;  but  a  good  tempered 
animal  will  evince  in  many  ways  his  attachment  to  a  kind 
rider,  and  so  wonderful  is  his  intelligence,  that  he  will 


152  BIDING. 

recognise  his  master's  voice  and  footsteps,  even  when  heard 
at  a  distance.  Let  our  readers,  then,  who  are  fortunate 
enough  to  possess  a  steed  like  this,  occasionalise  the  old 
saw,  "  Love  me,  love  my  dog,"  and  in  lieu  thereof,  adopt 
as  their  motto, 

«  Love  me,  love  mj  honw  1** 


SLEIGHT  OF  HAND,  MAGIC,  &c. 


The  Magic  Furnid. — ^You  must  have  a  double  funnel,  that 
is,  twt)  funnels  soldered  one  within  the  other ;  the  first  fun- 
nel must  have  no  passage,  so  that  whatever  liquor  is  poured 
into  it  cannot  run  out.  •  The  second  funnel  must  be  made 
80,  that  at  the  little  end  you  may  pour  in  a  quantity  of 
liquor.  Having  previously  filled  this  funnel  with  whatever 
kind  of  liquor  you  mean  to  call  for,  stop  the  hole  with 
your  thumb,  which  prevents  it  from  running  out,  and  which 
you  put  there  under  pretence  of  not  losing  the  liquor  you 
call  for,  which  is  poured  into  the  funnel  without  any  hole. 
When  this  is  drunk,  and  the  funnel  turned  downward,  tho 
liquor  which  you  had  previously  put  in  cannot  run  out ; 
but  when  you  turn  the  funnel  the  other  way,  to  the  great 
astonishment  of  the  company  the  liquor  is  poured  into  a 
glass,  and  should  be  the  exact  quantity  of  what  you  had 
called  for.  You  may  then  drink  the  person's  health  who 
drank  before,  and  tell  him  it  is  a  cheap  way  of  treating  « 
friend. 

.     (168) 


154  8LEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC. 

To  make  cold  water  Jiot  toithaut  the  aid  of  jire. — You  give 
a  pint  of  cold  water  to  one  of  the  company,  and  taking  off 
the  lid  of  the  kettle,  you  request  him  to  put  it  into  it ;  you 
then  put  the  lid  on  the  kettle ;  take  the  pint,  and  the  exact 
quantity  of  water  comes  out  of  the  kettle  boiling  hot. 

The  kettle  has  two  bottoms.  Boiling  water  has  been 
previously  conveyed  into  it  through  the  nose.  There  is  no 
passage  for  the  cold  water,  which  is  put  in  where  the  lid  is 
oflf;  consequently,  the  hot  water  can  alone  pour  out. 

This  trick  may  be  Taried,  and  for  the  better;  as  the  heat 
of  the  water  may  betray  it,  should  the  bottom  of  the  kettle 
be  full.  You  may  therefore  propose  to  change  water  into 
wine  or  punch. 

A  coffee-pot  may  be  made  on  a  similar  plan;  but  a 
kettle  is  preferable,  it  being  more  likely  from  its  size  and 
breadth,  to  baffle  the  examination  of  the  curious. 

This  trick  may  also  be  improved  by  an  additional  expense, 
so  that  whatever  liquid  is  on  either  bottom  may  be  poured 
out  occasionally.  For  this  purpose  there  must  be  a  double 
passage  to  the  nose  of  the  kettle,  and  secret  springs  to  stop 
(tither  passage. 

To  lock  a  padlock  on  your  cTieek. — ^You  show  a  padlock 
to  the  company,  which,  when  sufficiently  examined,  to  their 
great  astonishment,  you  fasten  on  your  cheek,  nor  can  it  be 
t.kcn  off,  until  the  padlock  is  unlocked. 

The  padlock  for  this  purpose  has  a  bow  with  a  division 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  155 

which  admits  the  cheek,  so  contrived  that  when  locked  it 
may  neither  pinch  too  hard,  nor  yet  hold  so  slightly  as  to 
be  drawn  off.  There  should  be  a  variety  of  notches  on  it, 
that  the  place  of  the  division  may  not  be  noticed. 

To  put  a  ring  throv/jli  your  cheeh. — This  trick  is  per- 
formed upon  the  same  principle  as  the  preceding  one.  You 
must  have  two  rings  exactly  similar,  one  of  which  has  a 
notch  which  admits  your  cheek.  When  you  have  shown 
the  perfect  ring  to  the  company,  you  change  it  for  the 
other,  and  privately  slip  the  notch  over  one  side  of  your 
mouth ;  in  the  mean  time  you  slip  the  whole  ring  on  your 
stick,  hiding  it  with  your  hand ;  then  bid  some  one  hold 
the  end  of  the  stick,  whip  the  ring  out  of  your  cheek,  and 
smite  with  it  instantly  upon  the  stick,  concealing  it  and 
whirling  the  other  ring  you  hold  your  hand  over,  round 
about  the  stick. 

To  make  iron  swim. — Having  placed  a  pail  of  water 
before  the  company,  you  cast  in  a  piece  of  iron  or  steel,  and 
say,  "  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  you  now  behold  this  sinks  to 
the  bottom,  but  you  shall  soon  see  it  swim  on  the  surface." 
Attention  being  thus  obtained,  you  wave  your  hand  over 
the  pail  of  water,  and  the  steel  immediately  ascends  to  the 
top.  The  top  of  the  rod  which  you  wave  over  the  water, 
must  be  iron  touched  by  the  loadstone,  by  the  attraction 
of  which  the  steel  will  ascend  in  the  water. 

To  make  a  lighted  candle  hum  under  water. — Tako  a 


156  SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC. 

glass,  and  fastening  a  small  bit  of  wood  across  the  mouth, 
stick  thereon  a  piece  of  candle  lighted ;  and  with  a  steady 
hand,  convey  the  glass  to  the  surface  of  the  water ;  then 
push  it  carefully  down,  and  you  may  see  the  candle  burn 
under  the  water,  and  you  may  bring  it  up  again  alight. 

In  the  same  manner  you  may  put  a  handkerchief  rolled 
tightly  together,  and  it  will  not  be  wet. 

The  principal  art  in  performing  this  trick,  consists  in  the 
nicety  of  bringing  the  mouth  of  the  glass  exactly  level  with 
the  surface  of  the  water ;  for  if  you  put  it  the  least  on  one 
side,  the  water  will  rush  in,  and  consequently  put  out  the 
candle,  or,  in  the  other  case,  wet  the  handkerchief;  so  that 
a  nice  eye  and  steady  hand  are  necessarily  requisite  for  this 
performance. 

This  trick,  simple  as  it  is,  may  serve  in  some  degree  to 
elucidate  that  contrivance  called  the  diving-bell ;  as  it  is 
certainly  done  upon  the  same  principle. 

The  Turks  and  Christians. — ^You  tell  the  company  the 
following  story.  An  English  captain,  whose  crew  consisted 
of  thirty  men,  half  Christians  and  half  Turks,  was  wrecked, 
and  for  the  preservation  of  some  of  their  lives  it  was  deemed 
expedient  that  half  of  the  crew  should  be  thrown  overboard, 
or  all  must  inevitably  perish.  The  captain  therefore  pro- 
posed that  every  man  should  come  upon  deck,  and  that 
every  ninth  person  should  become  the  victim.  The  crew 
obeyed  the  summons;  and  the  captain  placed  them  in  such 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  167 

an  order,  though  with  apparent  impartiality,  that  every 
ninth  man  was  a  Turk,  and  all  the  Christians  were  pre- 
served. You  then  take  15  red  cards  for  the  Christians, 
and  15  black  cards  for  the  Turks,  and  you  place  them  in 
such  an  order  on  the  table,  that  every  ninth  card  is  black, 
which  you  take  away  as  you  reckon,  till  only  the  15  red 
cards  remain. 

This  ingenious  trick,  which  is  scarcely  known,  can  be 
performed  by  the  fourteen  vowels  in  the  following  couplet : 

"  From  numbers,  aid,  and  art, 
Never  will  fame  depart." 

You  must  begin  with  the  Christians  (red  cards)  0  being 
the  fourth  vowel  in  from,  put  down  four  red  cards ;  U  five 
black  ones ;  E  two  red ;  A  one  black ;  I  three  red  -,  A  one 
black ;  A  one  red ;  E  two  black ;  E  two  red ;  I  three  black ) 
A  one  red ;  E  two  black ;  E  two  red ;  A  one  black.  You 
may  make  three  or  four  lines  of  the  cards,  which  will  make 
it  appear  more  strange.  Be  sure  to  take  away  every  ninth 
card,  saying  "  Overboard  with  that  Turk,"  and  all  the  red 
cards  will  remain. 

Light  produced  hy  Sugar. — If  two  pieces  of  loaf-sugar 
(about  a  pound  each)  are  struck  against  each  other  in  the 
dark,  a  light-blue  flame,  like  lightning,  will  be  elicited.  The 
same  effect  takes  place  when  a  loaf  of  sugar  is  struck  with 
90  iron  instrument. 

To  give  a  ghastly  Appearance  to  Persons  in  a  Room.'^ 


158  SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC. 

Dissolve  salt  in  an  infusion  of  saffron  and  spirits  of  wine. 
Dip  some  tow  in  this  solution,  and  having  set  fire  to  it, 
extinguish  all  the  other  lights  in  the  room. 

T(t  change  Blue  to  White. — Dissolve  copper  filings  in  a 
^hial  of  volatile  alkali :  when  the  vial  is  unstopped,  the 
liquor  will  be  blue ;  when  stopped,  it  will  be  white. 

To  break  a  Stick,  placed  on  two  Glasses,  without  breaJc- 
ing  the  Glasses. — ^The  stick,  intended  to  be  broken,  must 
neither  be  thick,  nor  rest  with  any  great  hold  on  the  two 
glasses.  Both  its  extremities  must  taper  to  a  point,  and 
should  be  of  as  uniform  a  size  as  possible,  in  order  that  tho 
centre  of  gravity  may  be  more  easily  known.  The  stick 
must  be  placed  resting  on  the  edges  of  the  glasses,  which 
ought  to  be  perfectly  level,  that  the  stick  may  remain  hori- 
zontal, and  not  inclined  to  one  side  more  than  another. 
Care  also  must  be  taken  that  the  points  only  shall  rest 
lightly  on  the  edge  of  each  glass.  If  a  speedy  and  smart 
blow,  but  proportioned,  as  far  as  can  be  judged,  to  the  size 
of  the  stick,  and  the  distance  of  the  glasses,  be  then  given 
to  it  in  the  middle,  it  will  break  in  two,  without  either  of 
the  glasses  being  injured. 

To  divcrsifi/  the  Colours  of  Flowers. — ^Fill  a  vessel  of 
what  size  or  shape  you  please,  with  good  rich  earth,  which 
has  been  dried  and  sifted  in  the  sun,  then  plant  in  the  same 
a  slip  or  branch  of  a  plant  bearing  a  white  flower  (for  such 
only  can  be  tinged),  and  use  no  other  water  to  water  it  with, 


SLEIGHT    OF    UAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  159 

but  such  as  is  tinged  with  red,  if  you  desire  red  flowers ; 
with  blue,  if  blue  flowers,  &c.  With  this  coloured  water, 
water  the  plant  twice  a  day,  morning  and  evening,  and 
remove  it  into  the  house  at  night,  so  that  it  drink  not  of 
the  morning  or  evening  dew  for  three  weeks.  You  will  then 
experience,  that  it  will  produce  flowers,  not  altogether 
tinctured  with  that  colour  wherewith  you  watered  it,  but 
partly  with  that,  and  partly  with  the  natural. 

The  Learned  Swan. — Have  a  large  marble  or  china  bowl, 
painted  inside  the  rim  with  the  letters  of  the  alphabet ;  a 
suiall  swan,  in  which  is  concealed  a  steel  or  iron  pin,  is  set 
to  swim  in  the  bowl,  and  on  being  desired,  will  select  any 
letters,  say  those  which  compose  your  name — to  effect  this, 
the  performer  of  the  trick  must  have  a  magnet  in  his  pocket, 
by  means  of  which,  as  he  moves  round  the  table,  the  swan 
will  be  attracted  to  every  letter  at  which  it  is  required 
to  stop. 

Singular  Experiment — Fix  at  the  height  of  the  eye,  on 
a  dark  ground,  a  small  round  piece  of  white  paper,  and  a 
little  lower,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  feet  to  the  right, 
fix  up  another,  of  a'bout  three  inches  in  diameter;  then 
place  yourself  opposite  to  the  first  piece  of  paper,  and, 
having  shut  the  left  eye,  retire  backwards,  keeping  your 
eye  still  fixed  on  the  first  object;  when  you  arc  at  the 
distance  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  the  second  will  entirely  disap> 
p«ar  from  your  sight. 


160  8LEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,    ETC. 

lingular  Effect  on  the  Visual  Organs. — Affix  to  a  dark 
wall  a  round  piece  of  paper,  an  inch  or  two  in  diameter ; 
and  a  little  lower,  at  the  distance  of  two  feet  on  each  side, 
make  two  marks ;  then  place  yourself  directly  opposite  to 
the  paper,  and  hold  the  end  of  your  finger  before  your  face 
in  such  a  manner,  that  when  the  right  eye  is  open,  it  shall 
conceal  the  mark  on  the  left ;  and  when  the  left  eye  is 
open,  the  mark  on  the  right ;  if  you  then  look  with  both 
eyes  to  the  end  of  your  finger,  the  paper,  which  is  not  at  all 
concealed  by  it  from  either  of  your  eyes,  will  nevertheless 
disappear. 

The  Thaumatrope — an  amusing  Toy. — The  optical  prin- 
ciple on  which  this  machine  is  constructed,  is  the  duration 
of  an  impression  on  the  eye,  after  the  object  producing  it 
has  been  withdrawn,  and  which  is  said  to  last  about  a 
second. 

The  cards  are  each  suspended  by  a  bobbin  at  either  side. 
There  is  a  part  of  a  figure  or  object  represented  on  one  side 
of  the  card,  and  the  remainder  on  the  other.  For  example : 
we  have  the  head  of  a  watchman  on  the  obverse  of  one, 
and  the  empty  watch-box  on  the  reverse ;  by  twirling  the 
bobbins,  and  consequently  spinning  the  card,  the  head  and 
box  fit  together,  and  we  see  a  complete  guardian  of  the 
night. 

Then  there  are  some  choice  jeux  d' esprit.  There  is  on 
the  observe  of  one  card  a  thin^j  like  a  well-worn  bundle  of 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  161 

bii>:n,  out  by  twirling  the  bobbins  we  produce  a  shower  of 
fresh  leaves,  and  these  leaves  falling  upon  that  bundle  pro- 
duce the  striking  likeness  of  a  trve. 

Water  in  a  Sling. — Half  fill  a  mug  with  water,  place  it 
in  :•  sling,  and  you  may  whirl  it  around  you  without  spill- 
ing -i  drop ;  for  the  water  tends  more  away  from  the  centre 
of  motion  towards  the  bottom  of  the  mug,  than  towards  the 
earth  by  gravity. 

Tke  Animated  Sixpence. — If  you  pierce  a  very  small  hole 
in  the  rim  of  a  sixpence,  and  pass  a  long  black  horse  hair 
through  it,  you  may  make  it  jump  about  mysteriously,  and 
even  out  of  a  jug.  It  is  necessary,  however,  to  perform 
this  trick  only  at  night  time ;  and  to  favour  the  deception 
as  much  as  possible,  a  candle  should  be  between  the  spec- 
tiitor  and  yourself. 

The  Travelling  Egg. — ^Procure  a  goose's  ^g,  and  after 
opening  and  cleaning  it,  put  a  bat  into  the  shell,  and  then 
glue  a  piece  of  white  paper  fast  over  the  aperture.  The 
motions  of  the  poor  little  prisoner  in  struggling  to  get  free, 
will  cause  the  egg  to  roll  about  in  a  manner  that  will  excite 
much  astonishment. 

The  Balanced  Egg. — Lay  a  looking-glass  face  upward, 
on  a  perfectly  even  table ;  then  shake  a  fresh  egg,  so  as  to 
mix  up  and  incorporate  the  yolk  and  the  white  thoroughly ; 
with  care  and  steadiness  you  may  then  balance  the  egg  on 
its  point,  and  make  it  stand  upright  on  the  glass,  which  it 
11 


162  SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,    MAaiO,    ETC 

will  be  impossible  to  achieve  when  the  egg  is  in  its  natural 
state. 

To  Melt  Lead  in  a  Piece  of  Paper. — ^Wrap  a  piece  Qi 
paper  very  neatly  round  a  bullet,  so  that  it  be  everywheie 
in  contact  with  the  lead ;  hold  it  over  the  flame  of  a  candle, 
and  the  lead  will  be  melted  without  the  paper  being  burnt ; 
but  when  once  fused,  the  lead  will  in  a  short  time  pierce  a 
hole  in  the  paper,  and  drop  through  it. 

The  Dancing  Pea. — Take  a  piece  of  a  tobacco-pipe  of 
about  three  inches  in  length,  one  end  of  which,  at  least,  is 
broken  off  even ;  and  with  a  knife  or  file  make  the  hole 
somewhat  larger,  so  as  in  fact  to  form  a  little  hollow  cup. 
Next,  get  a  very  round  pea,  put  it  in  the  hollow  at  the  end 
of  the  bit  of  pipe,  place  the  other  end  of  the  latter  in  your 
mouth,  hold  it  there  quite  in  a  perpendicular  position,  by 
inclining  yolr  head  back,  and  then  blow  through  it  very 
softly ;  the  pea  will  be  lifted  from  its  cup,  and  rise  and  fall 
according  to  the  degree  gf  force  with  which  the  breath  is 
impelled  through  the  pipe. 

The  Bottle  Imps. — Procure  from  a  glass-blower's  three  or 
four  little  hollow  figures  of  glass,  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  height,  and  let  there  be  a  small  hole  in  the  legs  of  each 
of  them.  Immerse  them  in  a  glass  jar,  about  a  foot  in 
height,  nearly  full  of  water,  and  then  tie  a  bladder  fast  over 
the  mouth.  When  you  wish  the  figures  to  go  down,  press 
your  hand  closely  on  the  bladder,  and  they  will  instantly 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,    ETC.  163 

sink ;  and  the  moment  you  take  your  hand  off,  they  will 
rise  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 

To  talce  a  Shilling  out  of  a  Handkerchief. — For  this  trick 
you  must  procure  a  curtain  ring  of  exactly  the  size  of  a 
shilling.  At  first,  put  the  shilling  into  the  handkerchief; 
but  when  you  take  it  out  to  show  that  there  is  no  decep- 
.tion,  slip  the  ring  in  its  stead,  and  while  the  person  is 
eagerly  holding  the  handkerchief,  and  the  company's  eyes 
are  fixed  upon  the  form  of  the  shilling,  seize  the  opportunity 
of  putting  it  away  secretly.  When  the  handkerchief  is  re- 
turned to  you  again,  cautiously  withdraw  the  curtain-ring, 
and  show  the  shilling. 

A  Good  Catch. — The  following  is  a  good  catch :  Lay  a 
wager  with  a  person  that  to  three  observations  you  will  put 
to  him,  he  will  not  reply  "  a  bottle  of  wine.''  Then  begin 
with  some  common-place  remark,  such  as,  '*  We  have  had  a 
fine,  or  wet  day  to-day,"  as  it  may  be;  he  will  answer,  of 
course,  "a  bottle  of  wine."  You  then  make  another  re- 
mark of  the  same  kind,  as,  "  I  hope  we  shall  have  as  fine 
or  finer  to-morrow,"  to  which  he  will  reply,  as  before,  "  a 
bottle  of  wine."  You  must  then  catch  him  very  sharply, 
and  say,  "  Ah  I  there,  sir !  you've  lost  your  wager ;"  and 
the  probability  is,  if  he  be  not  aware  of  the  trick,  he  will 
fay  "  Why,  how  can  you  make  that  out  ?"  or  something 
similar,  forgetting  that,  though  a  strange  one,  it  is  the  third 
observation  you  have  made. 


164  SLEIGHT    OP    HAND,    MAGIC,     ETC. 

The  Juggler's  Joke. — Take  a  little  ball  in  each  hand,  and 
Stretch  your  hands  as  far  apart  as  you  possibly  can,  one  from 
the  other ;  then  tell  the  company  that  you  will  make  both 
the  balls  come  into  whichever  hand  they  please,  without 
bringing  the  hands  into  contact  with  each  other.  If  any 
of  the  lookers-on  challenge  your  ability  of  achieving  this 
feat,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  lay  one  of  the  balls  down  upon 
a  table,  turn  yourself  round,  and  take  it  up  with  your  other 
hand.  Both  the  balls  will  thus  be  in  one  of  your  hands, 
without  the  latter  approaching  the  other,  agreeably  to  your 
promise. 

The  Three  Spoons. — This  is  a  most  capital  trick,  but  it 
requires  a  confederate's  aid.  Place  three  silver  spoons  cross- 
wise on  a  table,  request  any  person  to  touch  one,  and  as- 
sure him  you  will  find  out  the  one  he  touches  by  a  single 
inspection ;  although  you  will  leave  the  room  while  he  does 
BO,  and  even  if  he  touches  it  so  gently  as  not  to  disarrange 
the  order  in  which  they  are  once  put  in  the  slightest  degree. 
You  retire ;  and  when  he  gives  you  notice  to  enter,  walk  up 
to  the  table  and  inspect  the  spoons,  as  if  trying  to  ascertain 
whether  there  are  any  finger  marks  upon  them,  and  then 
iecide.  Your  confederate,  of  course,  makes  some  sign,  pre- 
viously agreed  upon,  to  give  you  notice  which  is  the  iden- 
tical spoon  'f  the  actions  may  be,  touching  a  button  of  his 
jacket  for  the  top  spoon,  touching  his  chin  for  the  second, 
and  putting  his  finger  to  his  lips  may  signify  the  lowest ; 


I 


SLEIGHT    OF    HAND,     MAGIC,     ETC.  165 

but  the  precise  actions  are  immaterial,  so  that  the  spoon 
they  indicate  be  understood. 

Loud  Whisper. — Apartments  of  a  circular  or  elliptical 
form  are  best  calculated  for  the  exhibition  of  this  phenome- 
non. K  a  person  stand  near  the  wall,  with  his  face  turned 
•  to  it,  and  whisper  a  few  words,  they  may  be  more  distinctly 
heard  at  nearly  the  opposite  side  of  the  apartment,  than  if 
the  listener  were  situated  nearer  to  the  speaker. 


ENIGMAS,  EIDDLES,  &c. 


The  ancients  believed  that  the  monster  Sphynx  was  the 
inventor  of  riddles.  The  one  she  proposed  for  solution  was 
this  : — "  What  animal  is  that  which  goes  upon  four  legs  in 
the  morning, — ^upon  two  at  noon, — and  upon  three  at 
night  V  Many  persons  strove  to  explain  it,  but  failed,  and 
were  torn  to  pieces  by  her ;  at  length,  (Edipus,  the  son  of 
Laius,  king  of  Thebes,  solved  it,  by  saying  that  the  animal 
was  a  man,  who,  in  the  infancy  or  morning  of  his  life,  creeps 
upon  his  hands  and  feet,  and  so  goes  on  all-fours ;  in  the 
noon  of  his  life,  walks  on  two  feet;  and  in  the  waning 
evening  and  night  of  old  age,  requires  a  stick,  and  so  totters 
upon  three  legs.  The  Sphynx,  enraged  at  the  discovery 
cf  her  riddle,  threw  herself  from  a  rock  and  died. 

Such  is  the  failed  history  of  the  first  riddle ;  the  true  is 
not  known,  as  riddles  are  of  remote  antiquity ;  but  we  find 
from  Plutarch,  that,  in  his  days,  the  Greek  girls  often 
amused  themselves  with  proposing  riddles  for  their  compa- 
nions to  unravel.     For  a  party  of  merry  roysterers  clus- 

(166) 


ENIGMAS.  167 

tcTcd  round  a  cheerful  fire,  no  amusement  is  better  calculated 
than  a  batch  of  enigmas  and  riddles;  as  they  possess  enough 
Doint  to  rivet  the  attention  of  all  to  their  probable  meaning, 
and  sufl&cient  humour  to  provoke  many  a  hearty  laugh. 

ENIGMAS. 

1.  'Twas  whispered  in  heaven,  'twas  muttered  in  hell, 
And  echo  caught  faintly  the  sound  as  it  fell ; 
On  the  confines  of  earth  'twas  permitted  to  rest. 
And  the  depths  of  the  ocean  its  presence  confess'd ; 
'Twill  be  found  in  the  sphere,  when  'tis  riven  asunder; 
'Tis  seen  in  the  lightning,  and  heard  in  the  thunder : 
'Twas  allotted  to  man  with  his  earliest  breath, 
It  assists  at  his  birth,  and  attends  him  in  death ; 
Presides  o'er  his  happiness,  honour,  and  health. 
Is  the  prop  of  his  house,  and  the  end  of  his  wealth. 
In  the  heap  of  the  miser  'tis  hoarded  with  care. 
But  is  sure  to  be  lost  in  his  prodigal  heir. 
It  begins  every  hope, — every  wish  it  must  bound ; 
It  prays  with  the  hermit,  with  monarchs  is  crowned. 
Without  it  the  soldier  and  seaman  may  roam. 
But  woe  to  the  wretch  that  expels  it  from  home ; 
In  the  whispers  of  conscience  'tis  sure  to  be  found, 
Nor  e'en  in  the  whirlwind  of  passion  is  drown'd ; 
'Twill  soften  the  heart, — though  deaf  to  the  ear, 
'Twill  make  it  acutely  and  instantly  hear ; 


168  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

But  in  short  let  it  rest ;  like  a  beautiful  flower, 
(Oh  breathe  on  it  softly),  it  dies  in  an  hour. 

2.  A  word  of  one  syllable,  easy  and  short, 

Which  reads  backwards  and  forwards  the  same ; 
It  expresses  the  sentiments  warm  from  the  heart, 
And  to  beauty  lays  principal  claim. 

3.  A  word  there  is,  five  syllables  contains, 
Take  one  away,  no  syllable  remains. 

4.  Places  of  trust  I  oft  obtain. 

And  protect  the  house  from  vermin ; 
I  act  as  shepherd  on  the  plain. 

And  at  fairs  Fm  shown  for  learning  : 
In  northern  climes,  a  horse  I'm  seen. 
And  a  roasting  jack  I  too  have  been ; 
Strange  as  it  seems,  it's  ho  less  true. 
That  I  eat  on  four  legs,  and  beg  on  two. 

5.  Soon  as  Fm  made  Fm  sought  with  care ', 

For  one  whole  year  consulted ; 
That  time  elapsed,  Fm  thrown  aside, 
Neglected,  and  insulted. 

6.  The  beginning  of  eternity. 

The  end  of  time  and  space ; 
The  beginning  of  every  end. 
And  end  of  every  place. 


ENIQMAS.  169 

7.  -A  man  once  launched  a  vessel  large, 
And  live  stock,  too,  he  took  in  charge ; 
He  did  not  barter,  buy,  nor  sell : 
Whichever  wind  blew,  pleased  as  well ; 

He  sailed  at  random,  was  to  no  port  bound, 
His  only  wish  was  soon  to  run  aground. 

8.  I'm  slain  to  be  saved,  with  much  ado  and  pain, 
Scatter'd,  dispersed,  and  gathered  up  again, 
Wither'd,  though  young ;  sweet,  yet  unperfumed, 
And  carefully  laid  up  to  be  consumed. 

9.  What  pleases  in  the  air,  and  what  a  horse  does  not 
like,  gives  the  name  of  a  flower. 

10.  Half  a  carman,  and  a  whole  country,  will  form  the 
name  of  a  beautiful  flower. 

11.  What  is  the  longest  and  yet  the  shortest  thing  in  the 
world, — the  swiftest  and  yet  the  slowest, — the  most  divisible 
and  the  most  extended, — the  least  valued  and  most  regret- 
ted,— without  which  nothing  can  be  done, — ^which  devours 
everything,  however  small,  and  yet  gives  life  and  spirits  to 
every  object,  however  great  ? 

12.  What  is  that  we  receive  without  being  thankful  for, 
— which  we  enjoy  without  knowing  how  we  received  it, — 
which  wo  give  away  to  others  without  knowing  where  it  is 
to  be  found, — and  which  we  lose  without  being  consciou" 
of  our  loss  ? 


170  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

13.  There  is  a  thing  was  three  weeks  old, 

When  Adam  was  no  more ; 
This  thing  it  was  but  four  weeks  old 
When  Adam  was  fourscore. 

14.  Tm  found  in  loss  but  not  in  gain, 

If  you  search  there,  'twill  be  in  vain ; 
Fm  found  in  hour,  but  not  in  day : 
What  I  am,  perhaps,  you  now  can  say. 

CHARADES. 

1.  Ever  eating,  never  cloying. 
All  devouring,  all  destroying, 
Never  finding  full  repast, 
'Till  I  eat  the  world  at  last. 

2.  My  first  is  four-sixths  of  a  step  that  is  long, 

My  second's  a  person  of  state ; 
My  whole  is  a  thing  that  is  known  to  be  wrong, 
And  is  a  strong  symptom  of  hate. 

3.  Without  my  first  you  cannot  stand. 
My  second,  beauteous  fair  command ; 
Together  I  attend  your  will. 

And  am  your  humble  servant  still  , 

4.  My  first  gave  us  early  support, 

My  next  is  a  virtuous  lass ; 


CHARADES.  ITk 

To  the  fields,  if  at  eve  you  resort, 
My  whole  you  will  probably  pass. 

5.  In  every  hedge  my  second  is, 

As  well  as  every  tree ; 
And  when  poor  school-boys  act  amiss. 

It  often  is  their  fee. 
My  first,  likewise,  is  always  wicked, 

Yet  ne'er  committed  sin : 
My  total  for  my  first  i^'  fitted. 

Composed  of  brass  or  tin. 

6.  My  first's  a  prop,  my  second's  a  prop,  and  my  whole's 
%  prop. 

7.  What  a  running  stream  does,  and  the  first  syllable  of 
error,  gives  a  production  of  nature. 

8.  My  first,  if  you  do,  you  won't  hit ; 
My  next,  if  you  do  you  will  have  it; 
My  whole,  if  you  do,  you  won't  guess  it. 

9.  My  whole  is  under  my  second  and  surrounds  my  first. 

10.  My  first  I  hope  you  are,  my  second  I  see  you  are, 
and  my  whole  I  am  sure  you  are. 

11.  My  first  is  the  cause  of  my  second,  and  my  whole  is 
made  sacred  by  God. 


172  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

CONUNDRUMS. 

1'  Why  is  an  undutiful  son  like  one  bom  deaf? 

2.  Why  are  the  pages  of  a  book  like  the  days  of  man  ? 

3.  Why  is  a  king  like  a  book  ? 

4.  Why  is  the  leaf  of  a  tree  like  the  human  body  ? 

5.  What  is  that  which  is  lengthened  by  being  cut  at  both 
ends? 

6.  When  is  small  beer  not  small  beer  ? 

7.  When  is  an  alderman  like  a  ghost  ? 

8.  What  animal  was  in  existence  before  the  creation  ? 

9.  What  is  that  which  the  dead  and  living  do  at  the  same 
time? 

10.  Where  did  the  witch  of  Endor  live  ? 

11.  How  many  sides  are  there  to  a  tree  ? 

12.  What  is  that  which  every  living  man  hath  seen, 
But  never  more  will  see  again,  I  ween  ? 

13.' Why  was  Noah  in  the  ark  like  a  disappointed  rat 
catcher  ? 

14.  Why  are  three  couples  going  to  church  like  a  child's 
penny  trumpet  ? 

15.  Why  is  your  nose  like  St.  Paul's  ? 

16.  When  do  your  teeth  usurp  the  functions  of  the  tongue  ? 
17. 'What  street  in  London  puts  you  in  mind  of  a  tooth 

which  has  pained  you  for  a  long  time  ? 

18.  Why  does  an  aching  tooth  impose  silence  on  the  suf- 
ferer ? 


CONUNDRUMS.  173 

19.  To  what  town  in  Poland  should  you  go  to  have  it  ex- 
tracted? 

20.  Which  of  your  teeth  are  like  a  dress-makers  fingers 
and  thumb,  when  she  is  cutting  out  a  dress  ? 

21.' Why  is  a  pack  of  cards,  of  only  fifty-one  in  the  pack, 
sent  home,  like  a  pack  of  cards  of  fifty-two  ? 

22.  Which  is  the  oldest  tree  in  England? 

23.  Why  is  a  man  in  debt  like  a  misty  morning  ? 

24.  Why.  are  feet  like  olden  tales  ? 

25.  Where  was  Adam  going,  when  he  was  in  his  thirty- 
ninth  year  ? 

26.  Why  is  an  image  on  a  pedestal  like  a  hackney-coach 
when  disengaged  ? 

27.  Why  are  fish  in  a  thriving  state  like  fish  made  to 
imitate  them  ? 

28.  Tom  went  out,  his  dog  with  him ;  he  went  not  before, 
behind,  nor  on  one  side  of  him,  then  where  did  he  go  ? 

29.  What  question  is  that  to  which  you  must  answer  yes  T 

30.  Why  does  a  miller  wear  a  white  hat  ? 

31.  In  what  respect  does  a  bad  governess  difier  from  a 
good  one  ? 

32.  Why  are  lovers'  sighs  like  long  stockings  ? 
33. -Why  is  a  nail  fast  in  the  wall  like  an  old  man  ? 

34.  AVhy  is  a  man  standing  on  a  fishmonger's  shop  liko 
a  busy  meddling  fellow  ? 

3.5.. What  is  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the  world? 
36.  Why  aro  some  great  men  like  glow-worms  ? 


174  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

37.  When  is  a  door  not  a  door  ? 

38.  Why  is  an  orange  like  a  church  steeple  ? 

39.  What  word  is  that,  to  which  if  you  add  a  syllable,  it 
will  make  it  shorter  ? 

40.  Why  is  life  like  a  publican's  door-post  ? 

41.  What  letters  of  the  alphabet  are  likely  to  comw  too 
late  for  dinner,  supposing  the  whole  to  be  invited  ? 

42.  Why  sure  two  men  fighting  a  duel  like  a  garden  rail- 
ing? 

43.  Why  is  swearing  like  an  old  coat  ? 

44.  What  is  that  which  a  coach  cannot  move  without,  and 
yet  is  not  of  the  least  use  to  it  ? 

45.  Why  are  fixed  stars  like  pens,  ink,  and  paper  ? 

46.  Why  is  a  jest  like  a  fowl  ? 

47.  Why  is  the  sun  like  a  man  of  fashion  ? 

48.  What  do  we  all  do  when  we  first  get  into  bed  ? 

49.  When  is  a  nose  not  a  nose  ? 

50.  What  thing  is  that  that  is  lower  with  a  head  than 
without  one  ? 

51.  Why  is  a  cobbler  like  a  king? 

52.  Why  is  a  cherry  like  a  book  ? 

53.  Who  was  the  first  that  bore  arms? 

54.  What  river  is  that  which  runs  between  two  seas  ? 

55.  When  is  the  river  Thames  good  for  the  eyes  ? 

56.  What  place  should  a  glutton  be  sent  to  ? 

57.  Why  is  a  watchman  like  a  mill-horse  ? 


•     •  CONUNDRUMS.  176 

58.  What  wig  cannot  a  barber  make  ? 

59.  Why  is  an  inn  like  a  burial  ground  ? 

60.  When  is  a  sailor  not  a  sailor  ? 

61.  Of  what  trade  is  the  sun? 

62.  Where  should  a  starving  man  be  sent  to  ? 

63.  Who  was  the  first  whistler? 

64.  What  tune  did  he  whistle  ? 

65.  Why  are  real  friends  like  ghosts  ? 

66.  Why  is  Satan  like  a  poker  ? 

67.  When  is  a  man  not  a  man  ? 

68.  What  bird  is  a  pedlar  like  ? 

69.  When  is  a  sailor  like  a  corpse  ? 

70.  Make  V  less  by  adding  to  it. 

71.  Why  is  a  widow  like  a  gardener  ? 

72.  Why  is  a  hired  landau  not  a  landau  ?^ 

73.  Why  is  a  tight  boot  like  an  oak  tree  V 

74.  What  two  letters  of  the  alphabet  make  a  phiJosopher? 

75.  Why  are  your  nose  and  chin  always  at  variance  ? 

76.  When  you  go  to  bed,  why  are  your  slippers  like  an 
unsuccessful  man  ? 

77.  What  is  that  which  is  sometimes  with  a  head,  some 
times  without  a  hdM,  sometimes  with  a  tail,  sometimes  with- 
out a  tail,  and  sometimes  without  either  head  pr  tail  ? 

78.  Why  is  the  largest  city  in  Ireland  likely  to  be  the 
largest  place  in  the  world  ? 

79.  Why  is  a  bad  epigram  like  a  poor  pencil  ? 


176  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

80.  Why  is  one  who  lives  by  cheating  sharper  than  the 
sharpest  ? 

81.  How  do  you  swallow  a  door  ? 

82.  Why  is  a  fruit  pie  like  old  port? 
83   What  is  sharper  than  a  razor  ? 

84.  Why  is  a  thump  like  a  hat  ? 

85.  Why  ought  a  fisherman  to  be  very  wealthy  ? 

86.  If  a  fender  and  fire-irons  cost  three  pounds,  what  will 
a  ton  of  coals  come  to  ? 

87.  Why  is  a  summer's  day  like  a  passionate  man  ? 

88.  Why  is  a  watchman  like  a  mill-horse  ? 

89.  Why  is  the  monument  like  a  proud  man  ? 

90.  Why  is  a  key  like  an  hospital  ? 

91.  Why  is  a  drawn  tooth  like  a  thing  forgot  ? 

92.  Why  i^a  good  man  like  a  bright  jewel? 

93.  Why  i?an  apothecary  like  a  woodcock? 

94.  Why  is  it  better  to  have  friends  than  to  want  them  ? 

95.  What  is  that  which  is  often  brought  to  table,  often 
cut,  but  never  eaten  ? 

96.  Why  is  a  jailor  like  a  musician  ? 

97.  What  is  that  which  lives  in  winter,  dies  in  summer, 
and  grows  with  its  root  upwards  ?  • 

98.  In  what  place  did  the  cock  crow  when  all  the  world 
could  hear  him  ? 

99.  Why  is  the  soul  like  a  thing  of  no  consequence  ? 
100.  If  you  throw  a  man  out  of  a  window,  what  does  he 

fall  against? 


THE   KEY 

TO  THE  ENIGMAS,  RIDDLES,  &c. 


1.  The  letter  H. 

2.  The  Eye. 

3.  Monosyllable. 

4.  A  Dog. 

5.  An  Almanac. 


1.  Fire. 

2.  Stri-king. 

3.  Foot-man. 

4.  Milk-maid. 


ENIGMAS. 

6.  Letter  E. 

7.  Noah  in  the  Ark. 

8.  Hay. 

9.  Lark-spur. 
10.  Car-nation. 

CHARADES. 

5.  Candle-stick. 

6.  Foot-stool. 

7.  Flow-er  (flower). 

8.  Mistake. 


CONUNDRUMS. 

1.  Your  voice  is  lost  on  him. 

2.  Because  they   are   all  num 

bered. 

3.  Because  he  has  pages. 

4.  Because  it  has  yeins  in  it. 
6.  A  ditch. 

12 


11.  Time. 

12.  Life. 

13.  The  Moon. 

14.  Letter  O. 


9.  Waist-coat. 

10.  Well-come  (wel- 
come). 

11.  Sun-day. 


6.  When  it  is  a  little  tart. 

7.  When  he  is  a  gobbling  (gob- 
lin). 

8.  The  great  shay-hoss  (chaos). 

9.  They   go   round   with    the 
world. 

(X77) 


178 


ENIGMAS,     RIDDLES,     ETC. 


IV. 

11. 
12. 
13. 


14. 

15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 

19. 
20. 
21. 

22. 
23. 

24. 

25. 
26, 
27. 

28, 
29 
80 
31 


At  Endor. 

Two,  the  Inside  and  outside. 

Yesterday. 

Because  it  was   forty  days 

before    he    saw  eve-a-rat 

(Ararat). 
Because  they  go  too,  too,  too, 

(two  and  two  and  two). 
Because  it  is  flesh  and  blood. 
When  they  are  chattering. 
I4)ng-Acre. 
Because  it  makes  him  hold 

his  jaw. 
Pul-tusk. 
In-cisors. 

Because  they're  sent  in-com- 
plete. 
The  Ulder-tree. 
Because  he  is  full  of  dues 

(dews). 
Because   they  are  leg-ends 

(legends). 
In  his  fortieth. 
Because  it  is  on  a  stand. 
Because  they  are  hearty-fish 

all  (artificial). 
On  the  other  side. 
What  does  y-e-s  spell. 
To  keep  his  head  warm. 
One    miss-guides    and    the 

other  guides  miss. 


32.  Because  they  are  high  ho«*e, 

(heigh  he's!) 

33.  Because  it  is  infirm. 

34.  Because  he  is  over   a  fiah 

house  (ofl&cious). 

35.  To  find  out  the  most  difl&cuU 

thing  in  the  world. 

36.  Because    it  must  be   dark 

when  they  shine. 

37.  When  it  '3  a-jar. 

38.  Because  we  have  a  peel  froaa 

it. 

39.  Short  (short-er). 

40.  Because  it  is  chequered. 

41.  Those  that  come  after  T.  (U, 

V,  W,  X,  Y,  Z.) 

42.  Because  they're  fencing. 

43.  Because  it  is  a  bad  habit. 

44.  Noise. 

45.  Because  they  are  stationary, 

(stationery). 

46.  It  contains  a  merry-thought. 

47.  Because  it  turns  night  into 

day. 

48.  Make  an  impression. 

49.  When   it  is  a  little   radish 

(reddish) . 

50.  A  pillow. 

51.  Because   his   nose  is   abov« 

his  chin. 


ENIGMAS,     RIDDLE^,     EVO 


179 


02. 
68. 
54. 

65. 

66. 
67. 
58. 
69. 

60. 
61. 
62. 
63. 
64. 
65. 


Because  it  is  read  (red) . 
Adam. 

The  Thames,  which  flows  be- 
tween Chelsea  and  Battersca. 
When  it  is  eye-water  (high 

water). 
Eat-on  (Eaton). 
Because  he  goes  his  rounds. 
An  Ear-wig. 
Because  the  weary  traveller 

there  finds  rest. 
When  he  is  a-board. 
A  Tanner. 
Hungary. 
The  Wind. 

Over  the  hills  and  far  away. 
They  are  often  heard  of,  but 

seldom  seen. 
Because  he  belongs  to  the 

fire-place. 
When  he's  a  shaving. 
A  Hawk. 

When  he  is  in  the  shrouds. 
IV. 
Because  she  tries  to  get  rid 

of  her  weeds. 
Because  it  is  a  landau  let 
Because  it  produces  a-com. 

(acorn). 
y  Z.  (Wise  head). 
Because     words    are     con- 


stantly passing    tetween 
them. 

76.  Because  they  are  put-off  till 

the  next  day. 

77.  A  wig. 

78.  Because   every  year  it  is 

doubling  (Dublin). 

79.  Because  it  has  got  no  jwint. 

80.  Because  he  is  a  sharpei. 

81.  Bolt  it. 

82.  Because  it  is  crusted. 

83.  Hunger. 

84.  Because  it  is  felt. 

85.  Because  his  is  all  net  proflv. 

86.  To  ashes. 

87.  Because  it  is  hot. 

88.  Because  he  goes  his  rounds. 

89.  Because  it  is  lofty. 

90.  Because  it  has  wards  in  it 

91.  Because  it  is   out  of  the 

head. 

92.  Because  all  his  actions  are 

brilliant. 

93.  Because  he  has  a  long  bill. 

94.  Because  they  are  so  hard 

95.  A  pack  of  cards,     [to  find. 
90.  Because  he  fingers  the  keys. 

97.  An  icicle. 

98.  In  Noah's  ark. 

99.  It  is  immaterial. 
100.   His  inclination. 


180  ENIGMAS,    RiDV.u£o,    ETC. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  PLAY. 

Let  each  person  of  a  party  write  on  a  piece  of  paper  the 
name  of  some  town,  country,  or  province:  shuffle  these 
tickets  together  in  a  little  basket,  and  whoever  draws  out  one 
is  obliged  to  give  an  account  of  some  production,  either 
natural  or  manufactured,  for  which  that  place  is  remarkable. 
This  game  brings  out  a  number  of  curious  bits  of  informa- 
tion which  the  party  may  have  gleaned  in  reading  or  in 
travelling,  and  which  they  might  never  have  mentioned  to 
each  other,  but  from  some  such  motive. 

Let  us  suppose  there  to  be  drawn  Nuremberg,  Turkey, 
and  Iceland,  of  which  the  drawers  narrate  thus  : — 

Nuremberg  has  given  to  the  world  many  useful  inven- 
tions. Here  were  first  made  the  pocket-watch,  the  air-gun, 
gun-lock,  and  various  mathematical  and  musical  instruments; 
and  at  present  half  the  children  of  Europe  are  indebted  to 
Nuremberg  for  toys ;  and  the  industry  of  the  inhabitants  is 
/Xtended  to  teaching  birds  to  pipe. 

Turkey  is  celebrated  for  its  costly  carpets,  which  all  the 
efforts  of  European  art  and  capital  have  failed  in  closely 
imitating;  yet  these  carpets  are  woven  by  the  women  among 
the  wandering  tribes  of  Asiatic  Turkey.  The  t'arKey  bird  is, 
however,  very  absurdly  named,  since  it  conveys  the  false  idea 
that  the  turkey  originated  in  Asia,  whereas  it  is  a  native  of 
America.  Neither  is  "  Turkey  Coffee"  grown  in  Turkey,  but 
is  so  named  from  the  great  consumption  of  coffee  in  that 
oountry. 


STORY-PLAY.  181 

Iceland  produces  in  abundance  a  certain  lichen  called  Ice- 
land Moss,  which  is  brought  to  England  as  a  medicine,  but 
is  in  its  native  country  used  in  immense  quantities  as  an 
article  of  common  food.  When  the  bitter  quality  has  been 
extracted  by  steeping  in  water,  the  moss  is  dried  and  re- 
duced to  powder,  and  then  made  into  a  cake  with  meal,  oi 
boiled  and  eaten  with  milk. 

STORY-PLAY. 

You  are  to  whisper  a  wordj  which  must  be  a  substantive, 
to  the  person  who  begins  the  play,  and  who  is  to  tell  a  short 
story  or  anecdote,  into  which  the  word  is  to  be  frequently 
introduced.  It  requires  some  ingenuity  to  relate  the  story 
in  so  natural  a  manner,  that  the  word  shall  not  be  too  evi- 
dent, and  yet  it  may  be  sufl&ciently  marked.  "When  the 
Btory  is  finished,  each  of  the  party  endeavours  to  guess  the 
word ;  and  the  person  who  discovers  it  tells  the  next  story. 
The  following  is  a  specimen  : — 

"  Three  young  children  were  coming  down  the  Mississippi 
with  their  father  in  a  sort  of  boat,  which  they  call  there  a 
pirogue.  They  landed  on  a  desert  island  in  that  wide  river 
on  a  bitter  snowy  evening,  in  the  month  of  December ;  their 
father  left  them  on  the  island,  promising  to  return  after  he 
had  procured  some  brandy  at  a  house  on  the  opposite  bank. 
He  pushed  off  in  his  little  boat,  to  cross  the  river ;.  but  the 
wind  was  high,  and  the  water  rough.    The  children  watched 


182  ENIGMAS,   RIDDLES,   ETC. 

him  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  struggling  in  his  pirogue 
against  the  stream,  till  about  half  way  across,  when  they 
saw  the  boat  sink,  and  never  more  saw  their  father.  Poor 
children  !  they  were  left  alone,  exposed  to  the  storm,  with- 
out fire,  shelter,  or  even  food,  except  a  little  corn. 

"  As  the  night  came  on,  the  snow  fell  faster ;  and  the 
eldest,  who  was  a  girl  only  six  years  old,  but  very  sensible 
and  steady  for  her  age,  made  her  little  sister  and  her  infant 
brother  creep  close  to  her,  and  she  drew  their  bare  feet  un- 
der her  clothes.  She  had  collected  a  few  withered  leaves  and 
branches  to  cover  them,  and  in  this  manner  they  passed 
the  long  winter's  night.  Next  morning,  she  tried  to  sup- 
port her  poor  weeping  companions  by  giving  them  corn  to 
chew ;  and  sometimes  she  made  them  run  about  with  her, 
to  keep  themselves  warm. 

"  In  this  melancholy  state,  you  may  imagine  what  was 
her  joy  when,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  she  discovered  a  boat 
approaching  the  island.  It  happily  contained  some  good- 
natured  Indians,  who  took  compassion  on  the  children, 
shared  their  food  with  them,  and  safely  conveyed  them  to 
New  Madrid  in  their  own  boat." 

CAPPING  VERSES. 

Let  us  suppose  a  party  seated  around  the  parlour  fire,  and 
each  person  to  repeat  as  much  of  a  poem  as  will  complete 
tlie  sense;   the  successive  quotations  all   alluding  to  one 


CAPPINa    VERSES.  188 

general  subject,  or,  at  least,  to  something  touched  upon  by 
the  previous  speaker.  The  following  is  a  sample,  in  which 
eight  persons  join : — 

A.  Heap  on  more  coals,  the  wind  is  chill ; 
But  let  it  whistle  as  it  will. 

We'll  keep  our  merry  Christmas  still. 

B.  Still  linger  in  our  northern  clime 
Some  remnants  of  the  good  old  time ; 
And  still,  within  our  valleys  here. 
We  hold  the  kindred  title  dear. 

C.  Decrepit  now,  December  moves  along 
The  plankj  plains. 

D.  Phoebus  arise. 

And  paint  the  sable  skies, 

With  azure,  vhite  and  red ; 

Rouse  Memnon's  mother  from  her  Tithon's  bed, 

That  she  with  roses  thy  career  may  spread. 

E.  Sad  wears  the  hour,  heavy  and  drear. 
Creeps,  with  slow  pace,  the  waning  year ; 
And  sullen,  sullen  heaves  the  blast 

Its  deep  sighs  o'er  the  lonely  waste. 

F.  Who  luves  not  more  the  night  of  June, 
Than  dull  December's  gloomy  noon  ? 
The  moonlight  than  the  fog  of  frost  ? 
And  can  we  say  which  cheats  the  most? 


184  ENIGMAS,    RIDDLES,    ETC. 

G.  Mustering  his  storms,  a  sordid  host, 
Lo !  Winter  desolates  the  year. 

H.  Yet  gentle  hours  advance  their  wing. 
And  Fancy,  mocking  Winter's  night, 
With  flowers,  and  dews,  and  streaming  light, 
Already  decks  the  new-born  spring. 


MISCELLANIES. 


TO  POLISH  SHELLS. 

Many  species  of  marine  and  fresh-water  shells  are  com- 
posed of  mother-of-pearl,  covered  with  a  strong  epidermis. 
When  it  is  wished  to  exhibit  the  internal  structure  of  the 
shells,  this  epidermis  is  removed,  and  the  outer  testaceous 
coatings  polished  down,  until  the  pearly  structure  becomes 
visible.  It  has  been  a  common  practice  to  remove  the  thick 
epidermis  of  shells  by  means  of  strong  acids,  but  this  is  a 
very  hazardous  and  tedious  mode  of  operation.  The  best 
plan  is  to  put  the  shells  into  a  pan  of  cold  water,  with  a 
quantity  of  quick-lime,  and  boil  them  from  two  to  four  hours, 
according  to  the  thickness  of  the  epidermis.  The  shells 
should  be  afterwards  gradually  cooled,  and  then  some 
diluted  muriatic  acid  applied  carefully  to  the  epidermis, 
which  it  will  dislodge  so  that  it  may  be  easily  peeled  off. 
Two  hours  are  quite  sufficient  for  such  shells  as  the  com- 
mon muscle  to  boil.    After  this,  they  must  be  polished  with 

(185) 


186  MISCELLANIES 

rotten-stone  and  oil,  put  on  a  piece  of  chamois  leather,  and 
then  rubbed  with  a  flannel  or  nail  brush. 

The  epidermis  of  the  Unio  Margaritifera  is  so  thick  that 
it  requires  from  four  to  five  hours  boiling ;  underneath  this 
epidermis,  there  is  a  thick  layer  of  dull  calcareous  matter, 
which  must  be  started  off  with  a  knife,  or  other  sharp  in- 
strument; this  requires  great  labour,  but  when  accomplished, 
a  beautiful  mother-of-pearl  specimen  is  obtained,  which 
makes  an  agreeable  variety.  Various  Turbos  and  Trochuses 
are  also  deprived  of  their  epidermis,  and  polished  with 
files,  sand-paper,  and  pumice-stone,  till  the  pearly  appear- 
ance is  obtained.  After  the  operation  of  polishing  and 
washing  with  acids,  a  little  Florence  oil  should  be  rubbed 
over,  to  bring  out  the  colours,  and  destroy  the  influence  of 
the  acid,  should  any  remain  on  the  shell ;  it  also  tends  to 
preserve  the  shells  from  decay.  The  muriatic  acid  should 
be  applied  to  the  epidermis  by  means  of  a  feather :  it  should 
not  be  suffered  to  remain  on  the  outside  of  the  shell  for 
more  than  a  minute  or  two,  and  the  greatest  care  should  be 
vised  to  keep  the  acid  from  touching,  and  consequently 
destroying  the  enamelled  surface  of  the  inside;  indeed, 
Home  persons  coat  the  parts  of  the  shell  which  they  wish  to 
Tjreserve  from  the  effects  of  the  acid,  with  bees' -wax.  Some 
i'onchologists  prefer  laying  white  of  egg  on  the  shell  with  a 
fini.ill  camel's  hair  brush,  to  rubbing  them  with  Florence 


MISCELLANIES.  187 

NOISE  IN  SHELLS. 

Hold  the  mouth  of  a  sea-shell  to  the  ear,  and  a  singular 
resonance  will  be  heard  from  within,  which  has  been  fanci- 
fully said  to  resemble  the  noise  of  the  distant  ocean :  this 
effect  being  caused  by  the  hollow  form  of  the  shell  and  its 
polished  surface  enabling  it  to  receive  and  return  the  beat- 
ings of  all  sounds  that  chance  to  be  trembling  in  the  air 
around  the  shell. 

HOW  TO  GROW  AN  OAK  IN  A  HYACINTH-GLASS. 

Take  an  acorn  in  November  or  December,  and  tie  a  string 
round  it,  so  that  when  it  is  suspended,  the  blunt  end  of  the 
acorn,  where  the  cup  was,  is  upwards.  Hang  it  thus  pre- 
pared, in  the  middle  of  a  bottle  or  hyacinth-glass,  contain- 
ing a  little  water,  taking  care  that  the  acorn  does  not  reach 
within  an  inch  of  the  water;  then  wrap  up  the  f)ottle  in 
flannel,  and  put  it  in  a  warm  place.  In  three  or  four  weeks 
the  acorn  will  have  swollen,  its  coat  will  have  burst,  and  a 
little  white  point  will  make  its  appearance  at  the  end  oppo- 
site the  water.  This  point  is  the  root,  for  the  acorn  is  be- 
coming an  oak  :  it  must,  however,  still  bo  kept  in  the  dark, 
and  clear  of  the  water,  till  the  young  root  is,  at  least,  half 
an  inch  long.  The  water  may  then  be  allowed  to  rise 
higher ;  but  it  is  only  when  from  the  neck  of  the  root  a  little 
point  begins  to  turn  upward,  that  it  is  safe  to  allow  the 
water  to  tench  it ;  this  point  being,  in  fact,  the  beginning 


188  MISCELLANIES. 

of  a  trunk,  which,  a  century  later,  may  form  the  timber  ot 
a  frigate.  As  soon  as  this  young  stem  begins  to  shoot,  the 
oak  will  require  a  dose  of  light,  a  little  every  day ;  and  it 
also  yearns  for  more  food,  so  that  its  root,  which  is  in  reality 
its  mouth,  must  be  allowed  to  touch  the  water,  and  to  drink 
it.  The  little  creature  must  then  have  air ;  it  digests,  and 
must  have  light;  it  sucks  greedily,  and  must  have  fresh 
water  given  to  its  root,  which,  however,  should  be  never 
wholly  covered;  just  that  point  where  the  stem  begins 
being  always  kept  out  of  the  water.  The  pet  may  now  be  set 
in  a  window.  At  first,  it  will  be  a  stout  thread,  whitish, 
and  covered  with  tiny  scales, — then  the  scales  will  expand 
a  little,  and  the  end  become  greener.  Next  will  appear  some 
little  leaves ;  hair  will  begin  to  grow,  veins  will  branch ; 
the  old  scales  will  fall  off,  and  the  leaves  will  slowly  arrange 
themselVes  upon  the  stem,  each  unfolding  from  the  bosom 
of  the  other.  And  thus,  out  of  a  little  starch  and  gum,  for 
the  acorn  was  not  much  more,  manifold  parts  will  be 
curiously  produced  by  the  wondrous  creative  powers  of 
nature. 

GLASS  FROM  STRAW. 
Wheat-straw,  without  any  addition,  may  be  melted  into  a 
colourless  glass  with  the  blow-pipe.     Barley-straw  melti 
into  a  glass  of 'a  bright  yellow  colour. 


I 


MISCELLANIES.  189 

TO  EXTRACT  THE  PERFUME  OF  FLOWERS. 
Procure  a  quantity  of  the  petals  of  any  flower  which  has 
an  agreeable  perfume ;  card  or  comb  thin  layers  of  cotton 
wool,  dip  them  into  the  best  Florence  oil,  sprinkle  a  small 
quantity  of  fine  salt  on  the  flowers,  and  place  layers  of  cot- 
ton and  flowers  alternately,  in  an  earthen,  or  else  a  wide- 
mouthed  glass  vessel,  until  it  is  full.  Then  tie  the  top 
closely  with  a  bladder,  and  place  the  vessel  in  a  south  aspect 
exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun ;  and  in  about  fifteen  days, 
when  opened,  a  fragrant  oil  may  be  squeezed  from  the 
whole  mass,  little  inferior,  if  roses  be  chosen,  to  the  dear 
and  highly-prized  otto  or  attar  of  roses. 

VEGETABLE  SKELETONS. 

Procure  a  large  earthen  open-topped  pan,  which  will  hold 
about  a  gallon,  and  put  into  it  some  leaves,  seed  vessels, 
&c.,  of  plants;  pour  over  them  just  so  much  boiling  water 
as  will  cover  them,  and  then  place  the  pan  upon  the  tiles 
of  the  house,  or  any  other  place,  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  or  the  changes  of  the  weather.  Occasionally  and  care- 
fully stir  the  leaves,  but  never  change  the  water.  The 
putrefaction  and  fermentation  will  soon  ensue,  and  in  about 
six  weeks,  or  rather  more,  most  of  the  specimens  will  bo 
completely  macerated,  and  require  no  further  care  than 
merely  to  hold  them  singly  under  the  tap  of  a  water-butt, 
or  a  little  stream  of  water  poured  from  a  jug,  to  wash  away 


190  MISCELLANIES. 

all  the  putrid  green  pulpy  matter.  If  this  matter  will  not 
come  off  easily,  when  slightly  assisted  by  the  thumb  and 
finger,  or  a  small  knife,  the  leaves  must  be  soaked  for  some 
short  time  longer.  Such  of  the  leaves  as  are  brittle  and 
liable  to  break  during  the  rinsing,  may  be  preserved  from 
fracturing  by  placing  them  upon  a  piece  of  board,  and  hold- 
ing them  up  by  the  thumb  and  finger,  while  the  water 
is  running  upon  them ;  and  if  some  of  the  green  matter 
still  remain  between  the  veins  of  the  skeleton-leaf,  it  may 
speedily  be  removed  by  striking  the  leaf  perpendicularly 
and  carefully  with  a  clothes  brush.  The  maceration  and 
cleansing  being  finished,  the  leaves  will  next  require  bleach- 
ing, which  may  be  done  very  effectually,  by  putting  them  in 
a  band-box,  with  a  small  quantity  of  sulphur  burning  in  a 
little  gallipot  by  the  side  of  them .  The  most  certain  method, 
however,  of  bleaching  objects  of  this  description,  is  to  im- 
merse them  in  dilute  chloride  of  lime,  or  chloride  of  soda, 
for  a  few  minutes.  Amongst  the  most  suitable  subjects  for 
this  interesting  pursuit,  will  be  found  the  leaves  of  the 
white  and  black  Lombardy  poplars;  the  lime  and  tulip 
trees,  apricot,  apple,  orange,  lemon,  box,  ivy,  holly,  and 
several  of  the  exotic  passion  flowers.  Magnolia  glauca, 
acuminata,  and  others.  The  calices  of  the  Molucalla  laevis 
are,  when  prepared,  exceedingly  pretty;  as  are  also  the 
calices  and  seed  vessels  of  the  blue-flowered  micandra,  of 
the  winter  cherry,  of  henbane ;  the  various  kinds  of  cam- 


MISCELLANIES.  19) 

papulas,  particularly  the  Canterbury  bell,  the  hare-bell,  and 
the  throatwort;  the  larger  species  of  mallows,  the  tree 
mallow,  hoarhound,  field  and  Alpine  eryngoes,  sea-holly, 
moon-trefoil,  yellow  lucern,  common  hedge  nettle,  several 
of  the  nettles,  red  hemp  nettle,  white  fraxinella,  Jerusalem 
sage,  common  thorn  apple,  atropa ;  the  scutillarias  or  skull 
caps ;  and  the  capsules  of  all  species  of  poppies.  To  thes^  may 
be  added  the  stalks  of  the  cabbage,  radish,  flax,  hemp,  and 
stinging-nettles ;  the  tubor  of  the  turnip,  the  involucres  of 
Astrantia  major  and  austriaca,  and  of  the  Hydrangea  horten^ 
»is.  The  above  is  a  tolerably  comprehensive  list  of  those 
plants,  the  leaves  and  calices  of  which  may  be  reduced  to 
skeletons  with  the  greatest  certainty ;  the  leaves  o/  the  oak 
contain  so  much  tannin  that  it  is  impossible  to  decompose 
them ;  as  is  the  case  also  with  the  leaves  of  the  waUut,  hazel, 
hornbeam,  chestnut,  maple,  elm,  willow,  sycamore,  buck- 
thorn, and  tea-trees ;  care  should,  therefore,  be  taken  that  no 
leaves  of  the  above-named  trees  be  put  in  the  vesdel  in  which 
the  process  of  maceration  is  going  on,  as  they  evolve  their 
tanning  qualities  to  such  a  degree  as  to  hindei  the  decom- 
position of  all  the  others  in  contact  with  them  It  is  also 
impossible  to  obtain  skeletons  of  the  leaves  of  the  fir  and 
camphor  trees,  and  of  the  laurel,  bay,  and  many  other 
species  of  evergreens  and  shrubs,  from  their  highly  resinous 
properties. 


192  MISCELLANIES. 

ROSIN  GAS. 

Dip  the  end  of  a  copper  tube,  or  tobacco  pipe  stem,  into 
melted  rosin,  at  a  temperature  a  little  above  that  of  boiling 
water ;  and  having  taken  out  the  tube  or  stem,  hold  it  nearly 
in  a  vertical  position,  and  blow  through  it,  when  bubbles 
will  be  formed  of  all  possible  sizes,  from  that  of  a  hen's  egg 
to  sizes  which  can  hardly  be  discerned  by  the  naked  eye ; 
and  from  their  silvery  lustre  and  reflection  of  the  different 
rays  of  light,  they  will  have  a  very  pleasing  appearance. 
These  bubbles  generally  assume  the  form  of  a  string  of  beads, 
many  of  them  being  perfectly  regular,  and  connected  by  a 
very  fine  fibre ;  but  the  production  is  never  twice  alike.  If 
expanded  by  hydrogen,  they  would,  probably,  occupy  the 
upper  part  of  a  room. 

TO  WRITE  BLACK  WITH  WATER. 

Soak  a  sheet  of  paper  in  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron 
or  green  copperas,  dry  it,  and  dust  over  it  finely-powdered 
galls ;  then  write  upon  the  paper  with  a  pen  dipped  in  water, 
and,  on  drying,  the  characters  will  appear  black.  Similar 
papers  may  be  prepared  by  using  other  solutions  and  powders : 
thus,  blue  may  be  prepared  by  soaking  it  in  a  solution  of 
sulphate  of  iron,  and  dusting  it  with  powdered  ferrocyanate 
of  potash. 


VB  30458 


